In 2019, New Mexico enacted laws requiring a background check for nearly all firearm sales and prohibiting many people subject to domestic violence convictions or court orders from accessing guns. In 2023, New Mexico had the fourth highest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 526 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every 17 hours. Fifty-six percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 37% are gun homicides. In New Mexico, the rate of gun deaths increased 59% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.