Rates of gun-related suicides in Oregon are higher than national average

Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud recently featured Becca Valek, a research project coordinator at OHSU’s Gun Violence Prevention Center, alongside Katie Iossi, an associate professor in OHSU’s Department of Medicine and a staff physician at VA Portland Health Care System. Together, they discussed trends in firearm-related deaths across Oregon, with a focus on the growing impact of suicide and the importance of prevention efforts. As members of the broader OHSU-PSU School of Public Health community, their insights highlight the critical role of research and clinical expertise in addressing gun violence.

Around 44,000 people died in a gun-related injury in the U.S. in 2024, according to a new report from Pew Research. Suicides make up a majority of those deaths at 62%. But in Oregon, that number is much higher, with 80% of all firearm deaths attributed to suicide. On top of that, previous reporting has also shown that some of the state’s most rural areas have the highest rates of gun-related suicides, especially for older men.

Read the full article and listen to the interview on the OPB website: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/01/gun-deaths-oregon-suicide/