Yellowknife (Feb 16/04) - The chief coroner of the NWT sees a disturbing trend in suicides and homicides.

"In an alarming number of cases, deaths are by unsecured firearms," said coroner Percy Kinney.

Coroner Percy Kinney: "How effective is a law if it is not enforced?"- Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Unlike the vast majority of people, Kinney has seen the damage a firearm can cause to a human skull.

"It's not like television," he said, noting a high-powered rifle does not leave just a hole in the head.

"It blows the head right off. It's unreal how much damage is caused. It more like a bomb than a gun."

He said if a rifle is held against the skin and fired, the expanding gases which propel the bullet also enter the head and keep expanding.

It is a traumatic experience for a relative or friend of a suicide victim to discover the body, he said.

"It would be a living nightmare," said Kinney.

Using the latest numbers available, Kinney said, in 2001 and 2002, there were 12 suicides or homicides committed with firearms in the NWT.

Of those, 11 -- nine suicides and two homicides -- were with unsecured firearms. These are guns that were not locked away or didn't have trigger locks, and were used by someone other than the owner.

Kinney does not count an incident if a gun was used by its owner, who would had the key.

"Whether it is secured or not in that case doesn't matter."

The coroner wants the government and the general public to become more concerned with the issue.

"If we were discussing 11 people dying of a disease, it would be on the front page," he said.

In his 2002 report, Kinney noted he had twice recommended the GNWT develop an awareness strategy on the dangers and liability of unsafe firearm storage.

"We're not asking the GNWT to pass laws," he said, explaining that's a federal matter.

"We should be looking at a strategy for gun safety."

Premier Joe Handley said there are no plans for the GNWT to launch a public education campaign on safe gun storage as recommended by the coroner.

"In terms of mounting a major campaign on this, no," Handley said.

There is no requirement for the government to follow the coroner's recommendation, he said, adding there is already public education on the issue through RWED and in the school system.

He also said the government does not have the financial resources to mount such a campaign.

Kinney said it is anybody's guess if people would kill themselves in some other way if guns were not readily available, however, suicide is often a spontaneous act. Unsecured firearms give people less time to change their minds.

The coroner is not certain if anyone was charged with unsafe storage of firearms as a result of the deaths in 2001 and 2002.

"How effective is a law if it is not enforced?" he asked.

Sgt. Daryl Key, the media spokesperson with the RCMP's 'G' Division, said the safe storage of firearms is required under the federal Firearms Act.

"There have been charges laid," said Key, although he does not know how many.

Whether a charge is laid is left to the discretion of officers, who could choose to inform a citizen about the law or issue a warning, he explained.

"We take the storage issue seriously," he said.

Fred Lamb, the president of the Hay River Shooting Club, said guns can be locked away in cabinets and there are a variety of locks to render a firearm inoperable.

"There is a means of securing every firearm," he said

"I don't think any legitimate shooter objects to the security requirements of securing firearms and ammunition."

Everybody should promote gun safety -- government, gun owners, Hunters and Trappers Associations and shooting clubs, he said.

The coroner also said the federal government's firearms legislation -- while very controversial -- does have positive aspects on gun security and storage.

"I'm worried we're going to throw the baby out with the bath water."