Firearm safety
Keeping firearms secure is the most effective way to prevent accidents and harm at home and in our communities.
Firearm safety starts at home.
For every homicide committed with a firearm, there are two suicides. In rural Minnesota, firearm suicide rates are about twice as high in urban counties.
Firearms are also a leading cause of death for children in the United States. And in 99 percent of all firearm deaths for children under 10, the firearm was stored loaded and unlocked.
These tragedies are preventable. The Department of Public Safety is committed to providing practical tools and information about firearm safety that reduce the risk of firearm accidents, unauthorized access, violence and suicide.
It begins with putting secure storage practices in place — like keeping firearms unloaded, locked and stored separately from ammunition. It also includes knowing how to legally pause access to firearms if a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Whether you are a firearm owner, a parent or someone concerned about a loved one, there are preventive actions you can take that may help save lives.
