Suicides accounted for more than two-thirds of all firearms deaths in Minnesota in 2022, according to a gun control lobbying group that is pointing to one strategy to help bring that persistent rate down.

The nonpartisan nonprofit Protect Minnesota released the data last week as it prepares to push state lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session to strengthen requirements for storing guns when not in use.

All deaths in Minnesota from guns totaled 569 in 2022, with 407 (71%) of those ruled suicides, said the group, which based its research on Minnesota Department of Health data.

Those numbers mark a continual upward annual climb in both the overall and suicide totals, with the ratio remaining steady, according to Protect Minnesota's research. In 2021, there were 570 gun deaths in Minnesota, with suicides accounting for 391. Those numbers were 513 and 354 in 2020.

"We can't have a conversation about ending gun violence in our state that doesn't include those suicide deaths by firearm," Maggiy Emery, Protect Minnesota's executive director, said in an interview with the Star Tribune shortly after her organization released its annual tally.

"Counter to some of the typical narratives we may hear about gun violence," Emery said, alluding to gun violence being largely an urban problem, "the population in Minnesota that is most impacted by suicide — and by extension, gun violence, since suicide represents such a large percentage of those deaths — are above-40 white males residing in rural areas of the state."

In recent years, dozens of cities, counties and civic organizations across the state have been offering free gun locks to the public as a way to prevent crime and suicide attempts. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has a short video online that explains how to properly use a gun lock.

Protect Minnesota says its research also shows that nearly half of Minnesotans own firearms, but less than half of them properly store their guns at home.

Emery said Protect Minnesota will be pushing hard when the House and Senate chambers convene in February for "safe storage provisions." nothing that in the words of the Department of Veterans Affairs, "safe storage puts 'time and space' in between a person in crisis and the trigger of the gun, giving someone experiencing suicidality some key moments to step back."

In St. Paul in May, the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance requiring residents to securely store their firearms and ammunition in order to prevent theft.

The measure amends city code to penalize people who leave a loaded or unloaded firearm in a vehicle or other location where unauthorized people could take it. It doesn't apply to people who take "reasonable action" to lock up their gun and keep ammunition where others can't access it.

In the debate leading up to council approval, some challenged the proposal, saying it would disarm residents, violate state law and run counter to the Second Amendment.

Emery last week dismissed concerns among some gun owners who saw the new provision as preventing the use of a firearm quickly enough in a life-threatening situation.

"Most fully locked biometric safes can be unlocked in 1 to 2 seconds or less with the fingerprint of the owner," she said. "Safely securing firearms in such devices helps make families safer, deters firearm theft and allows quick access to the permitted owner in cases of self-protection."

Where to find help

Families can find mental health information and resources for crisis care on NAMI Minnesota's website, namimn.org. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Text Line counselor.