An overwhelming majority of gun-related deaths in Maine are suicides and most are men, according to a new analysis from the state.

The Firearm Fatalities and Hospitalizations in Maine annual report, released in March, also shows there was a large increase in the number of assessments done last year under the state’s yellow flag law, which allows police to ask a judge to order someone to relinquish their guns if a mental health professional agrees the person is suicidal or poses a threat.

Firearm-related deaths and injuries are an ongoing public health concern in Maine and across the U.S., but the state has made some progress with suicide and injury prevention through public awareness campaigns and efforts to distribute gun locks and lockboxes to gun owners, according to state officials.

Last month, the Maine Legislature enacted an emergency bill to establish a review panel that will look at trends in deaths by suicide, help identify weaknesses in the system of care, and recommend ways to prevent deaths.

The annual report was produced by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Suicides made up 92% of gun-related deaths

State data show that 92% of gun-related deaths in Maine in 2024 were suicides, according to the report. That year, the most recent included in the report, there were 171 firearm deaths in Maine, 157 of which were suicides.

Sheila Nelson, who oversees the Maine CDC’s adolescent health injury and suicide prevention program, said the state sees an opportunity for prevention using strategies that keep people safe and connect them to the help they need. That includes making sure that people who are struggling with their mental health do not have access to firearms “in their darkest, most hopeless moment,” she said.

The total number of all deaths by suicide in Maine dropped last year to 252, according to preliminary data from the Maine CDC. In 2024, 283 Mainers died by suicide.

Through a partnership with the Veterans Administration and with a mix of federal and state money, the Office of Injury and Violence Prevention last year distributed more than 2,300 gun locks and 68 lockboxes.

The state also has two active campaigns focused on suicide prevention, which Nelson said have successfully reached thousands of Mainers. One focuses on adults and the other, “Filter Out the Noise,” focuses on youth suicide prevention.

Between February and November 2025, there were nearly 4,500 instances where people reached out for support through the “Here to Help” adult-focused campaign. The youth campaign had an even broader reach, with nearly 13,000 calls or texts for support between April and November last year.

There were 14 homicides using firearms in 2024

According to the report, 14 of the 34 homicides in Maine in 2024 involved firearms. Nine victims were men; five were women.

The number of homicides where guns were used fell sharply from 2023. That year, 18 people were killed in the Lewiston mass shooting. In 2022, there were 22 homicides by firearm.

Nearly 29% of firearm homicides from 2020 to 2024 were related to domestic violence, according to the report.

41 were hospitalized in 2025 with gun injuries

The report includes data collected from 33 Maine hospitals about hospitalizations and emergency department visits involving firearms.

Of the 41 hospitalizations reported in 2024, 90% were men and 42% were between the ages of 35 and 44, according to the report. The most common cause was accidental discharge or malfunction (42%), followed by assaults (34%).

In addition to hospitalizations, the number of people who visited emergency departments for gun-related injuries dropped to 132 in 2025, down from 152 visits in 2024, according to the report.

Yellow flag assessments increased in 2025

Yellow flag assessments were used more in 2025 than any year since the law went into effect in 2020. The use of the law increased after the Lewiston mass shooting and stayed consistently high.

In 2025, there were 559 assessments completed — an increase of 28% over the previous year. There were 100 assessments done in all of 2023, according to data reported by Spurwink, the behavioral health agency contracted to complete the assessments.

Nearly 85% of the assessments were of men, according to the report. They were used most in Cumberland, Kennebec, Penobscot and York counties.

Maine’s new red flag law, which was pushed by advocates after the Lewiston shooting and approved by voters in November, went into effect in February. That law allows police and family or household members of a person in crisis to petition a judge for a temporary weapons removal order.

Unlike the yellow flag law, which will remain on the books, it does not require a mental health evaluation before the order can be approved.

IF YOU NEED HELP 

IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911.

FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].

OTHER Maine resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other issues can be found by calling 211.