It Only Takes a Moment
Teen suicide is the leading cause of death of young people in Colorado, and teenagers often don’t show warning signs at home.
It only takes a moment for a teen struggling with mental health issues to take their own life. Still, it also only takes a moment for a responsible gun owner to safely store and secure their firearms to eliminate an impulsive, tragic, and life-changing decision.
“Everyone can help to save a life, and it’s easier than you think,” said Rachel Olsen, Imagine Zero Coordinator, Alliance for Suicide Prevention. “Lock up your guns so your children can’t access them in a moment of crisis.”
Adults can take several steps to prevent teen suicide:
“Unfortunately, we do see a number of patients in our emergency departments every year who have attempted suicide by a number of methods. However, we don’t see suicide by gun when everything is locked up,” said Dr. Jamie Teumer, a longtime emergency physician in northern Colorado and Medical Director of UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.
“The most difficult situation is when the attempt comes out of the blue and no one had any inkling that this could possibly happen. That’s why it’s important for anyone who owns a gun to make sure it is always stored responsibly. It’s a simple step that can save a life.”
The Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition thanks Big Waves Inc. and UCHealth for their contributions and support, which made this new campaign possible. Campaign Videos
Watch the "It Only Takes a Moment" full video and vignettes (5 short clips)
Links to Information and Resources for Families
Violence Prevention & Anonymous Reporting:
Mental Health Awareness & Firearm Suicide Prevention:
Firearms Safety & Education:
Voluntary Out-of-home Gun Storage (when needed for safety):
Crisis Resources & Contact Information
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, contact one of the crisis help resources below:
For Larimer County crisis help, including suicide assessments, contact:
For statewide crisis help, contact:
Additional community resources for supporting your child with grief and loss include:
Free Gun Locks
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit provides gun safety education materials and free gun locks at many public events. To request a presentation or find out about upcoming events they will be attending, please contact the Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit Coordinator at 970-498-5159.
The Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition provides free gun locks upon request via our online Supply Request Form below. Please note that the gun locks we provide are not for resale. Our gun locks are only for free distribution to the public to promote responsible gun ownership.
We are pleased to share these resources to help with your efforts to promote gun safety. The text or images may not be altered in any manner without the coalition's permission.
Print Materials Toolkit
Downloadable PDF Files for printing:
Downloadable Image Files and Links to Videos:
Toolkits Created by Other Agencies
The Problem
Over the years, our Larimer County community has lost too many young people to gun violence.
From 2016 to 2019, a total of 801 stolen firearms and 6,067 vehicle trespasses were reported across Larimer County. Many of those guns were unsecured in homes or vehicles and ended up in the hands of our county’s youths.
The Campaign
We believe every resident has shared ownership of our community’s safety. We also believe in empowering people to make the best decisions for themselves and their families through access to fact-based, safety-focused information.
Following months of research and collaboration, in July 2019 a coalition of partner organizations launched a multi-tiered gun safety awareness campaign to provide education and resources to community members.
This 2019 campaign featured a public service announcement video that emphasized the importance of safely securing firearms.
See the 2019 video on YouTube.
Focus areas include:
- Responsible gun ownership and safe handling and storage of firearms.
- Encouraging students to report concerning behaviors or guns in school using tools such as Safe2Tell.
- Working with youth in the community justice system who have been involved in gun-related incidents. Learn more about one of the initiatives that came out of this campaign: "It Only Takes a Moment" - Impact of Crime Class.
The Coalition
