(May 6, 2025)  San Diego, CA —  San Diego County is making real progress in the fight against gun violence — with new data showing that ghost gun seizures dropped 39% in 2024, and both firearm-related suicides and homicides have declined across the region.

The findings, presented in the County’s annual report on gun violence, reflect the impact of a bold local strategy led by Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer — combining targeted enforcement, legal action, and community-based prevention efforts.

“We’ve banned ghost guns, passed safe storage laws, and sued the companies that flood our communities with untraceable weapons — and the data shows it’s working,” said Acting Chair Lawson-Remer. “Gun deaths are down. Ghost guns are off the streets. We’re saving lives, and we’re not slowing down.”

Lawson-Remer led the County’s landmark ghost gun ban, authored new firearm storage requirements, and passed a groundbreaking policy giving the County authority to sue reckless gun manufacturers — a tool now being used in court to block the sale of illegal DIY gun kits.

According to the County’s latest report:

• Ghost gun recoveries dropped 39% in 2024, the steepest single-year decline in five years
• Firearm-related suicides fell 19% in the last year alone, and are down 5% overall since 2020
• Firearm-related homicides have declined 21% since 2020
• Since 2021, over 2,600 firearms have been voluntarily turned in at County gun safety events
• In 2024, the Sheriff’s Department filed 368 criminal charges tied to ghost gun seizures — including for manufacturing, possession, and distribution

“When we banned ghost guns and started suing the companies behind them, we sent a clear message: these weapons have no place in San Diego,” Lawson-Remer said. “Now we’re seeing the results — fewer sales, fewer guns, fewer lives at risk.”

In addition to enforcement and litigation, the County is expanding violence prevention efforts: launching hospital-based intervention programs, strengthening community-based outreach in neighborhoods like Spring Valley and Vista, and ramping up public education around suicide prevention and secure firearm storage.

“We can’t end gun violence overnight, but we’re building a foundation for lasting change,” said Lawson-Remer. “And as long as there are lives at risk, we will keep fighting.”