St. Paul, Minnesota, is witnessing a significant drop in the number of non-fatal shootings this year, with the St. Paul Police Department reporting a decrease from 26 incidents at this time last year to just 8 in 2025. Chief Axel Henry attributes this reduction to the effectiveness of the department's Non-Fatal Shooting Unit, which was created in response to previous years' violence.
According to a post on the Saint Paul Police Department's Facebook page, one of the largest impacts on the decline of these shootings is the city's dedication to this specialized unit. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to combat gun violence by treating each non-fatal shooting with the seriousness of a homicide. However, allocating sufficient resources for this purpose has been a robust challenge.
The unit's formation was made possible through a one-time allocation of $2.9 million in state public safety funding, which is intended to sustain the team until 2027. "If it’s going to continue to work the way that it is, we’re going to have to, as a city, work out a way to fund that beyond the three years because it is driving the number down," Chief Henry remarked in an interview with KARE 11. This funding supports 12 investigators dedicated exclusively to solving non-fatal shootings.
Data revealed that before the unit's establishment, the clearance rate for non-fatal shootings in St. Paul was 38.3%, but by the end of 2024, it had nearly doubled to 70%, and this year, it stands at 57%. Chief Henry emphasized, "We have really talented people we invest in, who really care about the work." The new approach does not only aim to solve cases but also to build trust within the community, creating a dialogue that urges victims and their associates to leave the matter to the authorities' hands instead of seeking retaliation.
St. Paul's approach mirrors strategies adopted by cities like Denver, Buffalo, Austin, and San Francisco, which have implemented similar units to tackle the issue. Denver, for one, saw its clearance rate surge from around 20% to 67% after establishing such a unit.
Chief Henry notes progression in prosecution as well, stating that of the 88 non-fatal shooting cases sent to the county attorney, 61 have been charged. As spring and summer approach, which traditionally see increases in violent crime, Henry remains optimistic about the department's preparedness: "We’d all prefer to prevent the next shooting than solve it. Prevention is the gold medal," he told KARE 11.
