For Release: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Analysis from 2018–2023 shows persistent disparities, suicides accounting for nearly three out of four gun deaths, and disproportionate impact on Black residents
Minneapolis-St. Paul — A new report from Protect Minnesota and the Violence Policy Center offers the most comprehensive look yet at lethal gun violence in Minnesota, analyzing six years of data from 2018 to 2023.
The study, Gun Death in Minnesota: A Six-Year Trend Analysis, finds that while Minnesota has the lowest overall firearm death rate among Great Lakes states, lethal gun violence continues to devastate communities – especially Black Minnesotans and those in Greater Minnesota.
“This report makes clear that gun violence is not random – it is a persistent public health crisis in Minnesota,” said Maggiy Emery, Executive Director of Protect Minnesota. “Over six years of data show the patterns are undeniable: we know who is most at risk, and we know what works to prevent these deaths. We have the tools and the policies to prevent these deaths, but without leadership and action, Minnesotans will continue to pay the price. The choice before us is whether we act on that knowledge to save lives or allow this crisis to continue.”
Key Six-Year Trends (2018–2023)
- More than 3,000 Minnesotans lost their lives to firearms over the six-year period, with suicides consistently driving the majority of deaths.
- Firearm suicide rates are consistently higher in Greater Minnesota – peaking at 9.1 per 100,000 in 2021 before easing slightly in 2023 – compared to the Twin Cities metro.
- Firearm homicide rates spiked during the pandemic (2020–2021), particularly among youth and young adults as well as Black Minnesotans. While rates of firearm homicide among the young have decreased slightly since 2021, they remain far above pre-2018 levels.
- Black Minnesotans are disproportionately impacted by gun homicide. In 2023, Black Minnesotans were 26 times more likely than white Minnesotans to die by firearm homicide. And while only 7.6 percent of the state’s population is Black, more than half of the state’s firearm homicide deaths occurred in the Black population in 2023 (57.8 percent).
- Between 2018 and 2021, the percentage of all homicides in the state committed with firearms increased from 54.1 percent to 70.7 percent and then dropped to 65.0 percent in 2023.
- Minnesota’s overall firearm death rate (8.9 per 100,000) was the lowest among Great Lakes states in 2023 but still represented hundreds of preventable deaths each year.
“Effective public policy is built on reliable and comprehensive data,” said Josh Sugarmann, Executive Director of the Violence Policy Center. “The goal of this study is to offer information that aids advocates, organizations, and policymakers as they work to reduce gun violence for a safer Minnesota.”
The report also highlights the lived experiences of Minnesotans whose lives have been forever altered by gun violence. Among them is Joan Peterson of Duluth, who lost her sister in a domestic violence shooting and has since dedicated decades to advocating for stronger laws to protect families. Her story illustrates how a single act of violence ripples through generations, fueling both grief and determination to drive change.
It also shares the story of Tommy McBrayer, Jr. of Minneapolis, who survived being shot multiple times at the age of 20. Rather than allowing that trauma to define him, McBrayer transformed his experience into advocacy, founding Don’t Shoot Guns, Shoot Hoops – a community program that gives young people safe alternatives to violence and builds resilience through mentorship and opportunity.
Protect Minnesota Policy Recommendations
Drawing on six years of trend data, in the report Protect Minnesota urges lawmakers to act on proven strategies, including:
- Safe storage laws to reduce suicides, unintentional shootings, and thefts that funnel guns into illegal markets.
- Requiring the reporting of lost and stolen firearms to help law enforcement track weapons and cut off a major supply line for gun trafficking.
- Repealing state preemption laws to allow cities and counties to implement tailored protections that reflect the unique needs of their communities.
- Banning ghost guns and increasing industry accountability to address the growing threat of untraceable firearms and ensure that manufacturers cannot evade responsibility when negligence contributes to harm.
- Restricting guns in polling places and government buildings to safeguard civic spaces and ensure Minnesotans can participate in democracy free from intimidation or fear.
The full report is available online at https://vpc.org/studies/minn2025.pdf.
Maggiy Emery, Executive Director of Protect Minnesota, added, “This six-year analysis makes one truth impossible to ignore: gun violence is a preventable public health crisis. With clear solutions at hand and clear trends pointing to where action is most urgently needed, Protect Minnesota urges state leaders to act now. Every day of delay means more lives cut short, more families grieving, and more communities living in fear. Minnesota cannot afford inaction.”
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The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
