Arizona sees second consecutive year of firearm injuries as leading cause of teen deaths
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Arizona has seen firearm injuries emerge as the primary cause of death among teenagers aged 15 to 17 for the second consecutive year.
In 2022, the Arizona Child Fatality Review Report revealed that there were 59 tragic deaths of children due to firearm injuries, which is an increase from the 56 reported in 2021, per 12 News.
Grieving father explains devastating impact
"I feel bad for the families because I know exactly what they're going through," expressed Mark Jacobo, a father who has experienced the devastating impact of firearm injuries firsthand.
In November 2022, his son, Stephen Jacobo, tragically lost his life when he was shot and killed at a party in Mesa.
"One day you're telling your son, 'I love you, goodnight.', and, you know, the next day your whole life changes overnight," Jacobo told the outlet. "And I would never want any family to go through what I go through."
Stephen Benito Jacobo Foundation
To combat teen gun violence and provide support to affected families, Jacobo has established the Stephen Benito Jacobo Foundation.
This initiative, named in honor of his late son, aims to educate families about the repercussions of teen gun violence.
"It's becoming a reality day-to-day now that we're not promised tomorrow and more kids are getting cheated out of their lives - and on a normal basis - and it needs to get put to a stop," Jacobo noted.
"If the SBJ Foundation could be a part of that, that's all I want," he added.
Teens' struggles with mental health
The report highlighted that every child who died in 2022 had access to a firearm, and the majority of these firearms were not stored correctly.
Although the source of all the firearms could not be confirmed by the department, it was found that at least 30% of them were owned by parents or caregivers.
Joronda Montano, an advocate for teen mental health, emphasized that adolescence is a period of significant change.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, Montano noted an increase in teens expressing mental health struggles, underscoring the need for adult support during these challenging times.
"Being empathetic to a young person's growth and development through those ages could go a long way. If only to just have them come back to say, 'I need help again'," added Montano.
Montano emphasized the importance of engaging in meaningful conversations with teenagers, going beyond superficial responses to truly understand their state of mind.
She believes that proactive involvement and effective parenting can play a crucial role in preventing the tragic loss of young lives in Arizona.
"And not asking questions when we're suspicious about something, like, we should be suspicious every day that something is up - they're up to good, and maybe they're up to something challenging," Montano said.
"It has to start with the parents just taking time on teaching our kids from little respect, love, you know, helping each other out," Jacobo added. "And that's one thing that Stephen did."