Data Dump: A look at suicide in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and the U.S. as Shawn's Law is signed by Gov. Wolf

Oct. 9—On May 22, 2019, Jackie Bieber, a resident of York County, lost her daughter, Shawn, to suicide.

The loss was compounded by the knowledge that Shawn died with assistance and encouragement from a website that provided information on ways to die and step-by-instructions.

Bieber fought back by advocating for a bill, sponsored by Rep. Dawn Keefer, that would increase the penalties for anyone who encourages someone under the age of 18 or who has an intellectual disability to die by suicide.

"Shawn's Law," as the measure became known, was signed into law Sept. 30.

"I'll never forget the feeling I got when I looked at her phone that day and saw this website and the chatroom discussion she was having during her suicide. Pure evil, cruelty, and darkness are all I can use to describe this horrific tragedy," Bieber said in a statement on the law's signing.

Bieber said the law sends a "clear and loud message" that "we will not tolerate helping anyone end their life."

But the law is the first step and needs to be followed by adequate funding for the mental health system, offering incentives to attract people to mental health professions and funding mental health and intellectual disabilities programs, she said.

Those who need help or know someone who does can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The lifeline offers free and confidential support for people in distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This week, we look at some of the data surrounding suicide:

The number of people who died by suicide each day in 2019, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Pennsylvania Vital Statistics 2019 report dated May 2021.

1,887

The number of Pennsylvanians who died by suicide in 2019, according to the report.

27

The number of Cumberland County residents who died by suicide in 2019, according to the report.

960

The number of Pennsylvanians who died by suicide involving a firearm in 2019, according to the report.

3x

Men were three times more likely to die by suicide than women, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Violent Deaths Reporting System data for 2018.

23%

The percent of those who died by suicide who left a note, according to VDRS data.

13%

The percent of those who died by suicide who had a history of suicide attempts, according to VDRS data.

12 million

The number of adults nationwide who have seriously thought about suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

11 minutes

One person in the United State dies by suicide every 11 minutes, according to the CDC.

270

The number of Pennsylvania veterans who died by suicide in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt.

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