 It's a topic that's rarely talked about, but after recent tragedies in the Brainer Lakes area, some members of the local community want to begin that conversation. Tonight Clayton Castle looks into the growing number of suicide cases in the Brainer Lakes area. It's been over a month since the tragic shooting at Bill's gun range in Baxter, where a 77-year-old Brainer man took his own life. Since then, law enforcement and community resources have been working to address and promote suicide prevention, especially in a community where gun violence typically involves suicide rather than homicide. For most law enforcement agencies outstate, the shooting type calls that we respond to are going to be suicidal type calls versus homicidal. Baxter Police Chief Jim Eckstead says that suicide rates are up, not just in Crowing County, but in the state and even the country. Suicide and mental health issues in our area across state, across the nation are being brought to the forefront more and more and more. And I think that's what, you know, out of this case, that's what we would like to focus on. Mary Miranda is the Executive Director of the Crisis Line and Referral Services in the Brainer Lakes area. We are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week for anyone who needs help. The Crisis Line is an important resource in an area with some of the highest suicide rates in the state of Minnesota. Of our six counties that we cover, I believe four or five of them do rank into the top 10 for having the highest suicides per capita in a county and Crowing is one of those. As for how we can help as a community, Miranda says we need to educate ourselves. What to look for, to be mindful of each other, to see, you know, gee, John, something doesn't look right. Are you feeling like you might be hopeless or help, you know, feeling like you are being overwhelmed with life? The Crisis Line and Referral Service offers training on how to listen to and communicate with a person with suicidal thoughts. Reporting in Baxter, Clayton Castle, Lakeland News. To find out more information on the Crisis Line and Referral Service, you can visit its website at crisislineandreferralservice.org. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.