PHOENIX — For the second year in a row, firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for teens 15-17 in Arizona, according to a state health department report released this month.
According to the Arizona Child Fatality Review Report, 59 children died from firearm injuries in 2022, up from 56 in 2021.
"I feel bad for the families because I know exactly what they're going through," Mark Jacobo said.
Jacobo lost his son, Stephen Jacobo in November 2022 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 said. "And I would never want any family to go through what I go through."
Now, Jacobo has started the Stephen Benito Jacobo Foundation in his son's name to support and educate families about 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 said. "If the SBJ Foundation could be a part of that, that's all I want."
The report also said every child that died in 2022 had access to a firearm and most weren't stored properly. While the report notes the department could not verify where all the guns came from, at least 30% belonged to parents or caregivers.
Joronda Montaño, a teen mental health advocate, said the teen years are a time of transition. Following the pandemic, Montaño said more teens are expressing struggles with mental health and teens need support from adults.
"Being empathetic to a young person's growth and development through those ages could go a really long way. If only to just have them come back to say, 'I need help again'," Montaño said.
Montaño said it's important to ask questions of teens and check in on how they're doing beyond simple answers.
"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," Montaño said.
It's parents being involved and parenting kids well that will help keep Arizona children from losing their lives.
"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 said. "And that's one thing that Stephen did."
Up to speed
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.