For Release: December 18, 2024
Report from Protect Minnesota and Violence Policy Center underscores urgent need for additional action to combat gun violence during upcoming legislative session
Minneapolis — Protect Minnesota has released a new report in partnership with the Violence Policy Center analyzing gun deaths in the state during 2023, highlighting concerning trends and emphasizing the need for continued legislative action to reduce gun violence. The joint report, based on Minnesota Department of Health data, provides a comprehensive overview of firearm-related deaths, their causes, and demographics.
Last year, the most recent year with complete data, saw 530 gun-related deaths in Minnesota. In 2022, Minnesota experienced 569 gun-related deaths and there were 570 gun-related deaths in the state in the previous year.
Key Findings
- Total Deaths: 530 Minnesotans died due to gun violence in 2023.
- Suicides: 374 deaths (70.6%), with white males making up the majority.
- Homicides: 144 deaths (27.2%), with Black males most affected.
- Other Gun Deaths: 12 deaths (2.2%).
- Geographic Impact:
- 57.5% of gun suicides occurred among residents of Greater Minnesota, while 68.8% of homicides occurred among residents of the 7-county metro area.
- Demographics:
- Males accounted for 90.6% of gun suicides and 81.9% of gun homicides.
- Veterans made up 19% of suicide victims.
The data underscores the disproportionate impact of gun violence on specific populations, including rural communities, veterans, and communities of color.
A Call to Action
“These numbers represent more than statistics—they are lives lost, families grieving, and communities struggling to heal,” said Maggiy Emery, Executive Director of Protect Minnesota. “While progress was made in 2023 with extreme risk protection orders and universal background checks, there is still much more work to be done. We need stronger safe storage laws, better reporting of lost and stolen firearms, and a state Office of Violence Prevention to tackle this crisis comprehensively.”
“For advocates and policymakers, detailed, up-to-date information is essential in developing effective gun violence prevention policies,” said Josh Sugarmann, Executive Director of the Violence Policy Center. “The Minnesota death certificate data from which these numbers are drawn not only offer robust information on gun death, but also reveal how lethal gun violence impacts all of the state’s residents, but in different ways.”
Resources for Change
The Minnesota Department of Health has developed a violence data dashboard to better understand gun-related incidents. This tool provides critical insights for policymakers, advocates, and communities working to address the issue. It can be found online at https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/injury/midas/mnvdrs.html.
Table 1. Gun deaths in Minnesota, 2023
| Death count (%) | |
| Suicide | 374 (70.6%) |
| Homicide | 144 (27.2%) |
| Other | 12 (2.2%) |
| Total firearm deaths | 530 (100.0%) |
Table 2: Gun suicide in Minnesota, 2023
| Death count (%) | |
| Total suicide deaths | 374 (100.0%) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 339 (90.6%) |
| Female | 35 (9.4%) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White, non-Hispanic | 333 (89.0%) |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 13 (3.5%) |
| Other race,* non-Hispanic | 18 (4.8%) |
| Hispanic | — |
| Age | |
| 0-19 | 10 (2.7%) |
| 20-24 | 27 (7.2%) |
| 25-44 | 121 (32.4%) |
| 45-64 | 128 (34.2%) |
| 65+ | 88 (23.5%) |
| Marital status | |
| Married | 124 (33.2%) |
| Divorced or widowed | 106 (28.3%) |
| Never married | 144 (38.5%) |
| Education | |
| Less than high school | 35 (9.4%) |
| Graduated high school | 149 (39.8%) |
| Some college | 117 (31.3%) |
| Graduated college | 51 (13.6%) |
| Master’s degree or higher | 22 (5.9%) |
| Residence geography | |
| 7-county metro** | 153 (40.9%) |
| Greater Minnesota | 215 (57.5%) |
| Out of state | — |
| Veteran | |
| Yes | 71 (19.0%) |
| No | 303 (81.0%) |
*The Other race, non-Hispanic category includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Multiracial
**The 7-county metro area includes Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties
— Indicates value has been suppressed because the number is too small to publish due to privacy concerns (between one and nine deaths)
Table 3: Gun homicide in Minnesota, 2023
| Death count (%) | |
| Total homicide deaths | 144 (100.0%) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 118 (81.9%) |
| Female | 26 (18.1%) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White, non-Hispanic | 31 (21.5%) |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 81 (56.3%) |
| Other race,* non-Hispanic | 16 (11.1%) |
| Hispanic | 16 (11.1%) |
| Age | |
| 0-19 | 19 (13.2%) |
| 20-24 | 27 (18.8%) |
| 25-44 | 78 (54.2%) |
| 45-64 | 14 (9.7%) |
| 65+ | — |
| Marital status | |
| Married | 24 (16.7%) |
| Divorced or widowed | — |
| Never married | 111 (77.1%) |
| Education | |
| Less than high school | 33 (23.2%) |
| Graduated high school | 80 (55.6%) |
| Some college | 21 (14.6%) |
| Graduated college | — |
| Master’s degree or higher | — |
| Residence geography | |
| 7-county metro** | 99 (68.8%) |
| Greater Minnesota | 34 (23.6%) |
| Out of state | 11 (7.6%) |
| Veteran | |
| Yes | — |
| No | 138 (95.8%) |
*The Other race, non-Hispanic category includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Multiracial
**The 7-county metro area includes Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties
— Indicates value has been suppressed because the number is too small to publish due to privacy concerns (between one and nine deaths)
***
Protect Minnesota is the state’s leading organization dedicated to preventing gun violence through education, advocacy, and community engagement. Protect Minnesota works to create safer communities and ensure that every Minnesotan can live free from the fear of gun violence. To learn more about Protect Minnesota’s efforts, visit ProtectMN.org.
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
