Scoop: Harris County gun crimes fell 11% in 2025
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Harris County prosecutors filed fewer firearm-related charges in 2025 than in 2024, according to new statistics shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Harris County mirrors a broader national drop in violent crime — though local firearm-related charges remain above pre-pandemic levels.
By the numbers: In 2025, prosecutors filed 3,452 violent felony charges in which a suspect was accused of using a firearm, compared to 3,870 in 2024 — a nearly 11% reduction.
- Prosecutors filed 5,325 separate weapons charges in 2025, down from 5,980 in 2024 — also an 11% decline.
Yes, but: Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare says there's work still to be done to curb gun crimes.
Driving the news: Teare is announcing Tuesday that he's joining Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, a nonpartisan policy advocacy group pushing for legislative changes like background checks, investments in mental health resources and limiting domestic abusers' access to guns.
- The group also focuses on improving enforcement and prosecutions for gun-related crimes and wants better access to safe firearm storage.
What they're saying: "Gun violence is a public health and safety crisis," Teare said in a statement. "It destroys lives and tears communities apart, and it can be stopped."
- "We must take meaningful action to support common sense solutions that work," he added. "Every person, every leader, every institution in Harris County must treat this like the emergency it is."
Zoom out: Nearly 2,500 people were treated for gun-related injuries last year in Houston emergency rooms, per the city's firearm injuries dashboard.