Preventing Tragedy: The Rising Toll of Unintentional Shootings in New Mexico

Between 2018 and 2024, thirty-eight New Mexicans died in accidental shootings. Those lost lives represented a combined 1,117 years of life, according to CDC estimates.

New Mexico holds one of the highest firearm mortality rates nationwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 563 firearm deaths in the state in 2024, placing it second behind Mississippi. While suicides make up 56% of those fatalities and homicides account for more than a third, unintentional shootings represent just over 1% of all fatal gun incidents in the state.

Those rare incidents carry devastating human consequences. According to Alexander Cutler, who coordinates the gun violence prevention program at the New Mexico Department of Health, unintentional discharges frequently occur when an individual incorrectly believes a firearm is safe, accidentally touches the trigger, or allows a minor to treat a weapon like a plaything.

Enforcing safe storage remains a steep challenge

Public health professionals, firearm retailers, and gun safety advocates agree that proper storage and owner education are vital. Yet enforcing these measures across New Mexico remains difficult.

At present, New Mexico statutes lack mandates for secure containment, meaning owners are not legally obligated to keep firearms and ammunition locked away from burglars, children, and other people without permission.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed House Bill 81 in 2024 to offer tax credits for purchasing secure storage devices. The measure cleared one House committee before stalling.

“I just want my kid to come home safely, and I want your kid to come home safely to you.”

Studies show that storing guns unloaded, locked, and separated from ammunition sharply reduces accidental injuries.

The debate over mandatory training

Education represents another front in the prevention effort.

Advocates like Miranda Viscoli, of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, would welcome stricter training laws. Yet she expressed skepticism that such legislation could gain approval in New Mexico, emphasizing that education must be ongoing because firearm proficiency cannot be mastered in a single weekend and retained indefinitely.

Local firearms instructors point out that responsibility rests heavily on individual owners. Erik Rasmussen, of Right To Bear Arms in Albuquerque, explained that his shop offers training courses essential to firearm safety, including a four-hour course covering the safe handling, cleaning and maintenance of guns that costs $50, or is free if a customer has purchased a firearm from the shop within the past six months.

Meanwhile, practical hurdles persist. Santa Fe Police Chief Ben Valdez said that community members encounter an additional obstacle regarding proper weapon handling, observing that local educational programs of that nature are scarce.