Hennepin County's board voted on Jan. 13 to formally designate gun violence as a public-health priority and to adopt a framework for coordinated prevention, survivor services and annual reporting.

The resolution, introduced as an R1 amendment by Commissioner Edelson, noted that firearm-related deaths in the county rose nearly 70% over roughly a decade — from 79 deaths in 2014 to 133 in 2023 — and called for a sustained, data-driven public-health response similar to efforts used for opioid overdoses and traffic fatalities. "Gun violence deserves the same sustained data driven public health response," Edelson said during debate.

The adopted language directs county agencies to coordinate with health-care providers, law enforcement and community partners, expand victim and witness services, include suicide-prevention and safe-storage strategies, and provide an annual report back to the board so progress can be tracked. Supporters emphasized that most gun deaths are suicides and that prevention requires a range of services, not enforcement alone.

Commissioner Connolly, referencing community impacts, urged expanding services for survivors and families. Commissioner Anderson underscored the need to include suicide prevention and safe-storage messaging. Several commissioners described the resolution as an actionable step to create shared accountability and data collection rather than a new enforcement program.

The measure passed on a voice vote. The board directed staff to incorporate measurable goals and an annual reporting schedule so the board and public can monitor outcomes.

What's next: administration will work with county departments and named partners to develop an implementation plan and a reporting cadence; commissioners requested clear metrics and a timetable to track service expansion and prevention outcomes.