Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action Applaud Minnesota House Lawmakers For Introducing Common-Sense Measures to Secure Firearm Storage and Require Reporting of Lost and Stolen Firearms

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statements today applauding Minnesota lawmakers for advancing critical gun safety measures including legislation strengthening requirements for safe storage of firearms and ammunition (House File 4300 – Becker-Finn) and legislation to require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to law enforcement (House File 601 – Her). Both bills advanced through House committees and now head to the House Ways and Means Committee. 

“Far too often we hear news stories of children accessing their parents’ unlocked guns, and shooting themselves or others,” said Kate Bischoff, volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of  Moms Demand Action. “Securely locking and storing all firearms is vital in preventing guns from getting into the wrong hands, and saves lives. We are thankful for Minnesota lawmakers prioritizing gun safety, and urge them to pass this critical public safety measure.” 

Requiring the reporting of lost and stolen firearms prevents gun violence and gun trafficking, these guns are often used in crimes or end up in the hands of those who mean to harm themselves or others. What to know about lost and stolen firearms:

• Gun thefts occur in staggering numbers. According to the ATF, from 2017 to 2021, more than 1 million guns were stolen from private gun owners, including from houses and vehicles. 
• Gun thefts often divert guns into an underground market where people with dangerous histories are easily able to obtain firearms without restriction. That is why stolen guns are often recovered at crime scenes, including at the scenes of homicides and other violent crimes. Research suggests that individuals who are prohibited from possessing guns may utilize the underground market to obtain guns, since they are unable to purchase them legally. 

Across the country, an average of 350 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else every year. In incidents of school attacks, three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. And yet, an estimated 54% of gun owners don’t lock all their guns securely, and 4.6 million children in the United States live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm.  

Research shows secure firearm storage plays a vital role in reducing unintentional shootings, school shootings, and gun suicide. Over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than in any other age group, reaching its highest rate in more than 20 years. By keeping firearms securely stored, gun owners can help mitigate the risk of gun violence at home and in schools.

26 states and Washington, DC have some kind of law requiring firearm storage. If HF 4300 passes, Minnesota would join the ranks of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Oregon that have secure storage laws requiring a firearm to be securely stored any time the gun is not in the immediate possession or control of the owner — these requirements are associated with a 78 percent lower rate of unintentional shootings by children than states with no secure storage laws. 

In an average year, 497 people die and 811 are wounded by guns in Minnesota. An average of 43 children and teens die by guns every year in the state, of which 49% of these deaths are suicides and 45% are homicides. Gun violence in Minnesota costs $1,174 per resident each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost Minnesota $6.6 billion each year, of which $105.5 million is paid by taxpayers.

More information about gun violence in Minnesota is available here.