The Relationship of Suicides, Guns and Mass Shootings in the United States: An Ethical Dilemma

Abstract

Suicides have been a reality of life due to many factors across nations. In the United States alone, about 30,000 to 40,000 individuals are likely to take their own life this year. During the Covid-19 Corona virus months, telephone calls to the suicide hotlines in the United States have increased significantly. As such, suicide is a huge, complex and costly problem in our society even when people are not dealing with a pandemic like Covid-19 and racial inequalities. In this study, we look at the relationship between suicides, guns and mass shootings based on age, gender and ethnicity, using data of 3,238-recorded suicides in South Florida’s Broward County.