After announcing an alarmingly high increase in suicide rates last week, the Shelby County Coroner's Office is promoting suicide prevention resources available locally for residents who need mental health help.
The office has confirmed 12 suicide deaths as of mid-July, according to last week's report.
These are deaths that occurred inside Shelby County borders, and not all victims were Shelby County residents, Deputy Coroner Sarah Kuhn clarified with TSN on Wednesday. Of those deaths, ten were male and two were female. One was a minor, and at least one was a veteran. Most of the deaths were completed with a firearm.
The coroner's office identifies a suicide by responding to the scene with first responders and working with them to examine the area.
"We take all the evidence from the scene," Kuhn said. "Firearms is the number one leading cause in the US for suicide. If there's a firearm on a scene and there's different ways to look at a firearm to tell could they have been holding the gun in a way or in this way or is there anything less disarrayed in the house, is there sign of struggle, things like that."
The office also looks at pathology and conducts an autopsy or toxicology report to determine cause of death.
Firearms are the most common method of suicide death among 20-40 year old males specifically. Kuhn said she believes this is because the victims believe it is the fastest way to die.
The number of suicide deaths in the county so far this year have already surpassed the total number of suicide deaths from 2024. The office said both in its report and in a letter issued to the county via the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce that this is "alarming," but what is also alarming is that surrounding counties are not seeing the same increase in suicide deaths from last year to this year.
Some of the deaths that took place inside county borders were not of Shelby County residents, nor did they have ties to Shelby County. Kuhn specifically worked two cases like this, begging the question: Why did those individuals come here to die by suicide?
The office is asking the same question. No one has an answer, other than that maybe the rural area was appealing to the victims.
"Nothing has stuck out to us as why here," Kuhn said.
Kuhn personally said seeing the increase is challenging for her.
"It can be challenging, but I look at things more as this gives me a chance to advocate for those who can no longer advocate for themselves anymore, and maybe as we're digging into this and maybe we can help one more person," she said. "Maybe we're reaching out to the right people and getting the 988 crisis line to the right people, because a lot of these people are silent. Everyone says, 'We didn't see this coming,' because a lot of them don't talk about it. As we're making this more public and people are hearing it, hopefully us getting the 988 number out and getting these resources out to people will help somebody who needs it — even when they're not asking for help. They're not voicing they need help, but they're hearing it."
The Coroner's Office is promoting local resources for individuals to seek help, such as the 988 crisis hotline, MHP Behavioral Health's Walk In Clinic (30 W. Rampart Road), and Buddies Helping Buddies, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting the community's mental health. The office has also reached out to state and federal resources to see if additional support is available.
They are also working on setting up booths at various community information to provide information for residents.
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