HAILEYS LEGACY - JUSTICE FOR HAILEY

ORGANIZED BY: Alanna Brekhus (Aly) & Larissa Strong

Outwardly show your support for this necessary cause:

I am the mother to Hailey Barrick, and Aly is a friend to my Hailey. 

In February 2024, we lost our precious 21-year-old friend, sister, and daughter, Hailey, to suicide. She purchased a gun less than 48 hours after being released from an Avera Behavioral Health facility before taking her own life. Despite her extensive history of mental health issues, she was able to purchase a firearm by affidavit style checking "no" for mental illness on the application for a firearm at a local gun shop, with no mandatory waiting period.  South Dakota state law overrides the Federal mandate of a 48-hour waiting period. This is not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger problem we face in South Dakota and across the nation.

Every state in our nation has a law preventing people with mental health issues from possessing firearms, however, there are notable gaps that need to be closed to protect those suffering and in crisis from mental health illnesses.

South Dakota and no other state currently has no way to report anyone who is put on an involuntary mental health hold at any mental health facility, and individuals in crisis are still able to purchase firearms. This lack of regulation has devastating consequences as it allows people suffering from severe mental health issues unrestricted access to lethal means. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms were involved in nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States in 2018.

***In South Dakota, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, 79% of all firearm deaths were by suicide in 2023.***

In South Dakota, guns are the most common method used in suicides, accounting for 49% of all suicide deaths in 2023. Here are some other statistics about gun-related suicides in South Dakota: [1]
2023: 79% of gun-related deaths in South Dakota were suicides. [2]
2022: 77% of violent deaths in South Dakota were suicides, and 50% of those were firearm-related. [3]
2021: South Dakota had 202 suicide deaths, the highest ever recorded. [4]
Gender: Males are nearly five times more likely to die by firearm suicide than females. [5]
Age: In 2022, 33% of all gun suicide deaths were over the age of 54. [5]
Race: Firearms are most common among the White population. [1]

We need legislation to report individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) who are suffering from mental health issues that will prevent them from purchasing a firearm or receiving a firearm as a gift within our state's borders. This requirement would serve as an essential preventative measure, potentially saving countless lives by ensuring only mentally stable individuals have access to guns.

Federal law prohibits individuals from possessing firearms if they are subject to a serious mental health condition or mandated to a substance abuse treatment facility by a legal authority. However, there is no federal mandate for states to report these individuals to the NICS.  While people with mental health struggles should not be labeled as criminals, let's push for reporting that provides the name, social security, and date of birth without any medical detail other than that they were held or admitted to a mental health facility, including dates of admittance. We believe this is crucial in addition to the process of conducting background checks before firearm transfers. State record reporting laws play a vital role in ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of the background check system. So many mental health-related hospitalizations and/or incidents of violence and self-harm are not reported to NICS. These things should NEVER be left in the dark. 

*****

The loss of our beautiful Hailey is beyond heartbreaking and devastating. This serves as a stark reminder that we must do more to prevent such tragedies from occurring again. Please join me in calling on our lawmakers to enact this crucial change.

Please sign this petition today demanding mandatory reporting of mental health holds in hospitals, those in treatment for mental health, and police reports involving mental health violence, for gun ownership in South Dakota and hopefully across the nation.   

***No parent or loved one should ever have to feel the pain of their child taking their life in such a violent way when it is preventable.***  

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE TO THE FAMILY, PLEASE ASK HOW. IT IS NOT THROUGH THIS PETITION. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE https://gofund.me/4d6f1fe8

JUSTICE FOR HAILEY

#haileyshalo #haileyslegacy #mentalillness #mentalhealthhelp #crisis