Suicides in Rural Minnesota on the Rise

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM/MNC) – Suicides represent nearly 70% of all gun deaths in Minnesota, but those working to stop gun violence say many suicides by firearm are concentrated in rural parts of the state and often involve older men.

As farming communities deal with economic stress, Rashmi Seneviratne with Protect Minnesota says guns handed down from previous generations might still be in the family home, “Past generations have grown up being used to guns for hunting, for food and that sort of thing.”

She says there’s concern not enough conversations are happening within these families about safe storage and is hoping rural communities will promote safe gun storage or trigger locks which can add seconds to a volatile situation that might prompt an individual to reconsider their actions.