Colorado Gun Shop Project

Colorado Gun Shop Project (GSP)

The Office of Suicide Prevention prioritizes suicide prevention and firearm safety through the Colorado Gun Shop Project (GSP). The GSP is an education and awareness project that partners with firearm advocates, gun shops, firing ranges, and other members of the firearm community to adopt and promote a firearm safety and suicide prevention message. The central message of this program emphasizes the importance of temporarily limiting a suicidal individual’s access to firearms as a critical aspect of firearm safety. The office uses its federal funding awards to fund grantees across the state to perform this work locally. At its heart, the Gun Shop Project is a grassroots, community-led effort.

The project identifies and funds community-based firearm advocates who are dedicated to suicide prevention. These partners act as trusted messengers conducting outreach to firearm retailers, gun ranges, sportsman clubs, veterans and first responder organizations, and relevant community-based organizations and events. The project offers support to the firearm community and may include providing suicide prevention and safety educational materials through posters, flyers, and educational events focused on raising awareness of suicidal behavior, mental health resources, and firearm storage. Additionally, suicide prevention education is incorporated into firearm safety training, and temporary firearm storage is offered to customers for loved ones in crisis.

Grantees funded by the Office of Suicide Prevention coordinate the project in 49 Colorado counties; the Veterans Affairs Western Colorado Health Care provides outreach to counties within their Colorado region; and staff within the Office of Suicide Prevention provide direct outreach and support to the remaining counties. Since 2020, the office has funded outreach to an annual average of 310 firearm retailers, gun ranges, veteran-serving organizations, and first-responder organizations in Colorado.