ST. PAUL — Minnesota is part of an early wave of states passing laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

An average of seven Minnesota residents were killed by spouses, dating partners or ex-spouses between 2006 and 2014, according to FBI data analyzed by The Associated Press. The nationwide focus on those homicides has led more than a dozen states to tighten gun restrictions on those convicted of domestic violence.

Minnesota lawmakers passed a law banning gun possession for convicted abusers and people subject to restraining orders in 2014. The political difficulty of restricting gun laws cropped up in Minnesota in 2013, during a failed effort to impose universal background checks and ban some assault weapons.

The bill passed with heavy bipartisan support.