TABLE 4. Number, percentage,* and rate† of homicides, by selected demographic characteristics of decedent, method of injury used, location in which injury occurred, and victim-to-suspect relationship§ — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020.
| Characteristic | Male |
Female |
Total |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | |
|
Age group, yrs
| ||||||
| <1 |
136 (<1.0) |
8.5 |
81 (2.1) |
5.3 |
217 (1.0)
|
6.9
|
| 1–4 |
151 (<1.0) |
2.3 |
102 (2.6) |
1.6 |
253 (1.2)
|
1.9
|
| 5–9 |
69 (<1.0) |
0.8 |
68 (1.7) |
0.8 |
137 (<1.0)
|
0.8
|
| 10–14 |
164 (<1.0) |
1.9 |
61 (1.6) |
0.7 |
225 (1.1)
|
1.3
|
| 15–19 |
1,876 (11.2) |
20.9 |
273 (7.0) |
3.2 |
2,149 (10.4)
|
12.2
|
| 20–24 |
2,865 (17.1) |
30.8 |
457 (11.7) |
5.1 |
3,322 (16.1)
|
18.2
|
| 25–29 |
2,806 (16.7) |
28.0 |
481 (12.3) |
5.0 |
3,287 (15.9)
|
16.7
|
| 30–34 |
2,334 (13.9) |
24.0 |
413 (10.6) |
4.4 |
2,747 (13.3)
|
14.3
|
| 35–44 |
3,035 (18.1) |
17.2 |
682 (17.5) |
3.9 |
3,717 (18.0)
|
10.5
|
| 45–54 |
1,634 (9.7) |
9.8 |
492 (12.6) |
2.9 |
2,126 (10.3)
|
6.3
|
| 55–64 |
1,092 (6.5) |
6.3 |
379 (9.7) |
2.0 |
1,471 (7.1)
|
4.1
|
| 65–74 |
417 (2.5) |
3.3 |
216 (5.5) |
1.5 |
633 (3.1)
|
2.3
|
| 75–84 |
146 (<1.0) |
2.5 |
128 (3.3) |
1.7 |
274 (1.3)
|
2.0
|
| ≥85 |
51 (<1.0) |
2.6 |
62 (1.6) |
1.7 |
113 (<1.0)
|
2.0
|
| Unknown |
8 (<1.0) |
—** |
2 (<1.0) |
— |
10 (<1.0)
|
—
|
|
Race and ethnicity††
| ||||||
| American Indian or Alaska Native |
275 (1.6) |
21.9 |
84 (2.2) |
6.4 |
359 (1.7)
|
14.0
|
| Asian or Pacific Islander |
189 (1.1) |
2.3 |
79 (2.0) |
0.9 |
268 (1.3)
|
1.6
|
| Black or African American |
10,377 (61.8) |
57.6 |
1,618 (41.5) |
8.2 |
11,995 (58.0)
|
31.8
|
| White |
3,385 (20.2) |
3.9 |
1,619 (41.5) |
1.8 |
5,004 (24.2)
|
2.9
|
| Hispanic or Latino |
2,492 (14.8) |
11.2 |
475 (12.2) |
2.2 |
2,967 (14.3)
|
6.7
|
| Other |
39 (<1.0) |
— |
13 (<1.0) |
— |
52 (<1.0)
|
—
|
| Unknown |
27 (<1.0) |
— |
9 (<1.0) |
— |
36 (<1.0)
|
—
|
|
Method of injury
| ||||||
| Firearm |
13,440 (80.1) |
9.9 |
2,413 (61.9) |
1.7 |
15,853 (76.7)
|
5.7
|
| Sharp instrument |
1,371 (8.2) |
1.0 |
508 (13.0) |
0.4 |
1,879 (9.1)
|
0.7
|
| Blunt instrument |
465 (2.8) |
0.3 |
215 (5.5) |
0.2 |
680 (3.3)
|
0.3
|
| Personal weapons (e.g., hands, feet, or fists) |
360 (2.1) |
0.3 |
153 (3.9) |
0.1 |
513 (2.5)
|
0.2
|
| Hanging, strangulation, or suffocation |
142 (<1.0) |
0.1 |
177 (4.5) |
0.1 |
319 (1.5)
|
0.1
|
| Motor vehicles (e.g., buses, motorcycles, or other transport vehicles) |
111 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
61 (1.6) |
<0.1 |
172 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Poisoning |
50 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
39 (1.0) |
<0.1 |
89 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Fire or burns |
53 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
36 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
89 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Intentional neglect |
32 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
33 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
65 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Fall |
26 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
19 (<1.0) |
— |
45 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Shaking (e.g., shaken baby syndrome) |
17 (<1.0) |
— |
9 (<1.0) |
— |
26 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Drowning |
13 (<1.0) |
— |
8 (<1.0) |
— |
21 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Other (e.g., Taser, electrocution, or nail gun) |
25 (<1.0) |
— |
12 (<1.0) |
— |
37 (<1.0)
|
—
|
| Unknown |
679 (4.0) |
— |
214 (5.5) |
— |
893 (4.3)
|
—
|
|
Location of injury
| ||||||
| House or apartment |
6,146 (36.6) |
4.5 |
2,334 (59.9) |
1.7 |
8,480 (41.0)
|
3.1
|
| Street or highway |
4,203 (25.0) |
3.1 |
406 (10.4) |
0.3 |
4,609 (22.3)
|
1.7
|
| Motor vehicle |
1,785 (10.6) |
1.3 |
351 (9.0) |
0.3 |
2,136 (10.3)
|
0.8
|
| Parking lot, public garage, or public transport |
855 (5.1) |
0.6 |
80 (2.1) |
<0.1 |
935 (4.5)
|
0.3
|
| Commercial or retail area |
709 (4.2) |
0.5 |
68 (1.7) |
<0.1 |
777 (3.8)
|
0.3
|
| Hotel or motel |
229 (1.4) |
0.2 |
72 (1.8) |
<0.1 |
301 (1.5)
|
0.1
|
| Natural area |
232 (1.4) |
0.2 |
66 (1.7) |
<0.1 |
298 (1.4)
|
0.1
|
| Park, playground, or sports or athletic area |
193 (1.1) |
0.1 |
23 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
216 (1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Bar or nightclub |
178 (1.1) |
0.1 |
20 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
198 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Jail or prison |
123 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
0 (0.0) |
— |
123 (<1.0)
|
<0.1
|
| Other location§§ |
590 (3.5) |
— |
127 (3.3) |
— |
717 (3.5)
|
—
|
| Unknown |
1,541 (9.2) |
— |
350 (9.0) |
— |
1,891 (9.1)
|
—
|
|
Relationship of victim to suspect¶¶
| ||||||
| Acquaintance or friend |
1,475 (30.9) |
1.1 |
186 (9.2) |
0.1 |
1,661 (24.5)
|
0.6
|
| Spouse or intimate partner (current or former) |
375 (7.9) |
0.3 |
1,006 (50.0) |
0.7 |
1,381 (20.4)
|
0.5
|
| Other person, known to victim |
1,060 (22.2) |
0.8 |
169 (8.4) |
0.1 |
1,229 (18.1)
|
0.4
|
| Stranger |
863 (18.1) |
0.6 |
137 (6.8) |
0.1 |
1,000 (14.7)
|
0.4
|
| Other relative |
354 (7.4) |
0.3 |
136 (6.8) |
0.1 |
490 (7.2)
|
0.2
|
| Child*** |
262 (5.5) |
0.2 |
169 (8.4) |
0.1 |
431 (6.4)
|
0.2
|
| Parent*** |
187 (3.9) |
0.1 |
167 (8.3) |
0.1 |
354 (5.2)
|
0.1
|
| Rival gang member |
83 (1.7) |
<0.1 |
6 (<1.0) |
— |
89 (1.3)
|
<0.1
|
| Child of suspect's boyfriend or girlfriend (e.g., child killed by mom's boyfriend) |
46 (<1.0) |
<0.1 |
29 (1.4) |
<0.1 |
75 (1.1)
|
<0.1
|
| Other relationship††† |
67 (1.4) |
— |
6 (<1.0) |
— |
73 (1.1)
|
—
|
| Total | 16,784 (100) | 12.3 | 3,897 (100) | 2.8 | 20,681 (100) | 7.5 |
* Percentages might not total 100% because of rounding.
† Per 100,000 population.
§ The following sentence can be used as a guide for interpreting victim-suspect relationship: “The victim is the [relationship] of the suspect.” For example, when a parent kills a child, the relationship is “Child” not “Parent” (“The victim is the child of the suspect”). Please note that this sentence is intended to be a general guide. However, some relationships might not be captured by this sentence (e.g., other person known to victim or victim was law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty).
¶ Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant). Denominators for the rates for California and Texas represent only the populations of the counties from which the data were collected.
** Cell data suppressed because number of decedents <20 or characteristic response is “Other” or “Unknown.”
†† Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but were categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups were non-Hispanic.
§§ Other location includes (in descending order): abandoned house/building/warehouse, supervised residential facility, industrial or construction area, hospital or medical facility, office building, synagogue/church/temple, preschool/school/college/school bus, farm, cemetery/graveyard/other burial ground, railroad tracks, bridge, and other unspecified location.
¶¶ Percentage is based on the number of homicide decedents with a known victim-to-suspect relationship (n = 6,783 [32.8%]; 4,772 [28.4%] males and 2,011 [51.6%] females); victim-to-suspect relationship was unknown for 13,898 decedents.
*** Includes adoptive family members (e.g., adopted child), stepfamily members (e.g., stepparent), and foster family members (e.g., foster child).
††† Other relationship includes (in descending order): an intimate partner of suspect's parent (e.g., teenager kills his mother’s boyfriend), victim was law enforcement officer injured in line of duty, and victim injured by a law enforcement officer.