In Minnesota, like most states, suicides make up the majority of gun deaths - typically around 60-70%. Homicides are usually 25-35%, and accidental deaths (including kids accessing guns) are a much smaller slice, maybe 2-5%.

This is actually the inconvenient reality nobody wants to talk about. When politicians grandstand about "gun violence," they're mostly talking about the smaller homicide category while ignoring that most gun deaths are people choosing to end their own lives.

The red flag laws might actually be more relevant for suicide prevention than stopping crime, but that's not the sexy talking point that gets votes.

Accidental deaths, while tragic, are statistically tiny compared to the suicide numbers. Yet guess which stories get more media coverage?