Minnesota gun deaths fall in 2025, but firearm suicides hit new high

Minnesota’s latest gun death data shows overall fatalities are down, but a growing share of deaths are suicides, especially in rural areas. Gun deaths in Minnesota According to data collected by the Minnesota Department of Health, 549 firearm deaths were recorded in the state in 2025, down from 564 the previous year. The numbers show that firearm suicides increased to 424, while firearm homicides dropped to 119. Men accounted for 90% of firearm suicide victims and 71% of homicide victims. Firearm suicides now account for more than three out of every four gun deaths in the state, rising to 77% in 2025 from 72% in 2024. Adults ages 25 to 64 accounted for nearly two-thirds of suicide deaths, and one-quarter of victims were age 65 or older. Black Minnesotans represented 41% of firearm homicide victims, and half of all homicide victims were between the ages of 25 and 44. Minnesota’s Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law, which lets courts temporarily restrict gun access for those at risk of harming themselves or others, saw filings more than double in 2025. "Every one of these numbers represents a person whose life was cut short, and a family forever changed," said Maggiy Emery, Executive Director of Protect Minnesota in an announcement accompanying the data. "Every one of those deaths matters, and everyone should strengthen our resolve to keep advancing evidence-based solutions that save lives and make every Minnesota community safer."