More people were killed in domestic-violence incidents in Colorado last year despite a drop in homicides overall, and more of those deaths involved guns, according to a .
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There were 78 people killed in domestic violence cases in 2025, a slight increase from 72 deaths in 2024. For the first time since reporting began, deaths among people suspected of domestic violence outpaced the number of victims killed.
Of the 78 people killed, 32 were victims, 38 were suspected of domestic violence and eight were classified as collateral deaths, according to the report released by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday.
The 40 deaths between victims and collateral fatalities make up 17% of the state’s 235 homicides in 2025.
“Every life lost to domestic violence is a tragedy, and we owe it to victims and their families to learn from these deaths and prevent future tragedies,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.
“Over the past eight years, this board has helped Colorado identify warning signs, strengthen our response to domestic violence and connect more people with the support they need. We have made important progress, and this report reminds us that we must continue working together to save lives,” he continued.
None of those killed in 2025 were children, a significant change from 2024, when a record-high number of eight children were killed in domestic-violence incidents.
But children were still “deeply impacted” by the cases, the report’s authors wrote. Children were present in the home in at least 15 of the deaths, and children directly witnessed a death in at least seven cases.
The review board recommended multiple steps for state lawmakers to act on domestic violence in Colorado, including funding for a new lethality assessment program, which would require law enforcement officers who respond to domestic violence calls to identify victims most at risk of being killed and connect them with services that can help.
The report also notes that while the review board previously recommended the legislature change state law so police can confiscate guns at the scene of a suspected domestic violence incident, lawmakers failed to introduce such a bill last year.
Guns were involved in 80% of Colorado domestic violence deaths in the past five years, according to state data. That number increased last year, with 84% of victim and suspect deaths involving firearms in 2025.
There is not one single reason domestic violence continues to be a significant problem in Colorado, said Keisha Rehfeld, fatality review program manager at the Rose Andom Center and one of the report’s authors. Financial barriers, housing stability and physical, emotional and psychological factors all affect domestic violence cases.
“These are all things working in effect against the victim, and all of those things need to be addressed,” she said.
Everyone working on those problems needs to be able to communicate and collaborate, Rehfeld said.
“Until that happens, and effectively, we can’t get to that solution,” she said.
But there are reasons to be hopeful, Reheld added, like the new lethality assessment protocol, which law enforcement agencies across the state will be required to start using on July 1.
“Knowing that’s another victim that’s going to be connected to services — I think that is still important,” she said.
Domestic violence resources
SafeHouse Denver: safehouse-denver.org. Reach local professionals by calling the 24-hour crisis and information line at 303-318-9989
Gateway Domestic Violence Services: gatewayshelter.org. The Aurora-based organization runs a 24-hour crisis and information line at 303-343-1851.
Rose Andom Center: roseandomcenter.org. Legal assistance, counseling, housing support and other services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at 720-337-4400
Project Safeguard: psghelps.org. Legal advocacy and attorney services to help survivors of gender-based violence understand their rights and options within the civil legal system at 720-618-3482
National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org. Call the hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for free, 24-hour help
Violence Free Colorado: Use this map to locate resources by county in Colorado. The website also has resources like a guide to helping someone you know who is being abused.
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