Lock It Up

Prevent Injuries in Your Home and Community

Firearm injury and deaths are a public health issue and Snohomish County Health Department is here to help you keep your family and community safe.

Firearm violence can include guns used in self-harm or violence between two people or among groups of people.

Firearm injuries and deaths are preventable—not inevitable—and everyone has a role to play in prevention.

A public health approach to firearm prevention can include, but is not limited to:

Improving and supporting mental health
Increasing resiliency and positive relationship skills
Increasing economic opportunities
Enhancing awareness and access to opportunities for a better future
Increasing hope
Increasing community connectedness
Creating a built environment that promotes connection and decreases unsafe spaces

Firearm Violence Facts

In 2022, more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths occurred in the United States, according to CDC mortality data.

In Washington, 896 individuals died due to firearm injury in 2021.

In 2020, 9.5 firearm-related deaths took place for every 100,000 people in Snohomish County.

As of 2020, nearly 30% of Snohomish County adults reported having a firearm in their home. Of those, 38% indicated they store them loaded and unlocked.

For more statistics and information on firearms in our community, please see the firearms fact sheet (last updated 2023).

Welcome to Lock It Up

Snohomish County Health Department has partnered with Public Health – Seattle and King County to implement their Lock It Up program. Lock It Up will bring firearm storage education and opportunities to receive free storage device(s) to Snohomish County residents as funding allows. Stay tuned to our Instagram page @snohd for giveaway opportunities.

The mission of Lock It Up is to promote the safety of our communities through safe storage of firearms.

Evidence suggests that safe firearm storage can prevent unintentional injury and death.

How to securely store your firearms:

Unload It

Firearm owners should remove all ammunition from the firearm, including removing any chambered rounds.

Lock It

Store unloaded firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault, or storage case that are equipped with keys, combinations, or biometric technology that limit access. Remember: Firearm locks (like cable & trigger locks) do not prevent gun theft.

Separate It

Ammunition should be stored separately from the firearm in a secure location.
Learn more about firearm locking devices here.

Talk

Talk to family and friends about safe storage. Asking if guns are securely stored may save lives. See “For Parents and Community Members” for conversation starters.

Prevent Suicide

There’s no single cause for suicide and it is preventable. Suicide most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair.

In 2021, half of all suicides in Washington were by firearms.

If you or a loved one are experiencing an emotional emergency or need to talk – you are not alone. Call or text 988 to speak with a crisis counselor.