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Gun locks available at no cost for residents.
Source: New Mexico Department of Health
Photo: Courtesy FBI
SANTA FE- June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, and the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) encourages residents to wear orange during the weekend of June 6-8 to help raise awareness on the impact of gun violence.
Gun-related deaths continue to be a public health emergency in New Mexico:
- In 2023, there were 530 firearm-related deaths in the state to include homicide, suicide and accidents.
- The age adjusted firearm death rate in New Mexico (25.3 per 100,000 residents) is the fifth highest in the United States.
- Between 2019 and 2023, firearms were the second leading cause of death for children age 1-18.
“Gun-related deaths are one of the leading causes of death in children and teens in New Mexico,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer. “Securing firearms is a proven strategy to reduce gun violence and to keep our communities and our children safe.”
Safe gun storage is essential in preventing accidental deaths. NMDOH provides free cable gun locks for all New Mexicans. The Safe Storage New Mexico program has distributed 11,000 of these locks to New Mexicans since the start of 2025.
You can request as many locks as you would like by requesting online here.
To maximize safety, gun owners should:
- Always treat a firearm as a loaded weapon and keep the muzzle pointed away from yourself and others.
- Store firearms unloaded and secured with child-resistant gun locks in a lock box or safely out of reach and sight of children.
- Store ammunition in a locked place that is kept separate from firearms.
Firearm deaths also include those related to suicide. If you are in crisis, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Additional resources are available at the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition website.
Be a part of creating a safer New Mexico this Gun Violence Awareness Month. Wear something orange June 6 through 8 and post your support online with the hashtag #WearOrange.
