Suicide in shooting galleries

Aim: To better understand the mental state of people who complete suicide in shooting ranges/galleries.

Method: The public record was searched via the web using various search engines and the words “suicide shooting gallery” and “suicide shooting range”. When names of individuals appeared, they were used to further search for information about the event, paying particular attention to any evidence suggesting the presence of mental disorder.

Results: Twenty-two cases were located. Nineteen (83%) were male and the average age was 36 years, with a range from 21 to 75 years. We present 6 case vignettes: in 3 there was evidence of mental disorder, while in the other 3 there was no evidence of mental disorder.

Conclusion: Like the people who complete suicide in other locations, some of the people who complete suicide in shooting ranges/galleries are suffering from mental disorder, while some are not, and other triggers are present.