“I’ve lost more friends to suicide than I did in combat.” The words of Iraqi conflict veteran and gun shop owner Caleb Morse cut deep. Veteran suicide rates are at staggering levels, with over 22 deaths per day. Veterans struggle with PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues. Integrating back into society after being in a combat zone is difficult.
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Mental health services within Veteran’s Administration (VA) facilities and via traditional health care insurance are inadequate, and our veterans are suffering. Many get “lost in the system” or “drop through the cracks,” leaving them without a lifeline. That is where heroes like Caleb help to fill that gap.
When Caleb finished serving our country, he went home to Louisiana. He wasn’t sure how to act in the civilian world. He knew he needed to redefine his purpose, so he opened a gun shop, The Rustic Renegade. But that isn’t where and when the magic happened. Caleb got a visit from a desperate friend who asked a simple favor, “Can you take my guns?” Caleb immediately offered to hold onto his Army pal’s guns until the friend felt safe having them back.
Caleb’s Army buddy was desperate. He was suffering from depression and PTSD and was suicidal. He wanted Caleb to save him from himself.
That one kind gesture started an avalanche as word got out. Veterans began calling or showing up at the gun shop, asking Caleb to hold their weapons. That cascade of caring has blossomed into Caleb holding hundreds of guns for fellow veterans. Distressed veterans on the brink of suicide will contact Caleb. He will pick up their guns, or they can drop them off at the shop. Caleb welcomes each one.
Veteran Gun Shop Owner Shows The Power Of Caring
Sometimes, just knowing that one person cares is enough.
There are no statistics available on how many suicides Caleb has prevented. There are stats on the efficiency of firearms, though. Suicide by firearm is successful in 90 percent of all attempts. In the 20 years from 2002 to 2021, 87,000 veterans died in gun suicides. Sixteen times more soldiers died by suicide than in combat!
The VA piloted The Armory Project, a veteran suicide prevention program that utilizes Louisiana gun shops. Research investigator Gala True worked with Caleb Morse, and the two pioneered a bill to shield firearms retailers from liability if they participated in the storage of firearms.
Like a Good Samaritan law, the bill protects shop owners who earnestly try to help someone. It passed unanimously in Louisiana in 2022, and Montana has enacted a similar law. Gun shop owners are assisting veterans one gun at a time.
Providing safe storage for weapons when vets are at their lowest points decreases the likelihood of suicide by gun. Veterans interviewed by CBSNews talk about Caleb and the gun storage program being the lifeline they needed.
As a nation, we still have a long way to go. We need more mental health services to protect our veterans, but actions like those from Caleb and other gun shop owners add a layer of assistance.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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