TABLE 5. Number* and percentage^† of homicides, by decedent sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states^§ and the District of Columbia, 2020.

Precipitating circumstance	Male No. (%)	Female No. (%)	Total No. (%)
Mental health and substance use
Other substance use problem (excludes alcohol)	1,499 (13.1)	300 (10.4)	1,799 (12.6)
Current diagnosed mental health problem	514 (4.5)	193 (6.7)	707 (4.9)
Alcohol problem	489 (4.3)	106 (3.7)	595 (4.2)
History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem	272 (2.4)	102 (3.5)	374 (2.6)
Current mental health or substance use treatment	142 (1.2)	70 (2.4)	212 (1.5)
Other addiction (e.g., gambling or sexual)	72 (<1.0)	11 (<1.0)	83 (<1.0)
Current depressed mood	33 (<1.0)	18 (<1.0)	51 (<1.0)
Interpersonal
Intimate partner violence related	898 (7.9)	1,190 (41.3)	2,088 (14.6)
Other relationship problem (nonintimate)	910 (8.0)	147 (5.1)	1,057 (7.4)
Family relationship problem	505 (4.4)	254 (8.8)	759 (5.3)
Jealousy (lovers’ triangle)	241 (2.1)	87 (3.0)	328 (2.3)
Victim of interpersonal violence during past month	125 (1.1)	156 (5.4)	281 (2.0)
Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month	201 (1.8)	14 (<1.0)	215 (1.5)
Life stressor
Argument or conflict	3,961 (34.7)	876 (30.4)	4,837 (33.9)
Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl)	1,702 (14.9)	257 (8.9)	1,959 (13.7)
Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks	523 (4.6)	220 (7.6)	743 (5.2)
History of child abuse or neglect	79 (<1.0)	49 (1.7)	128 (<1.0)
Crime and criminal activity
Precipitated by another crime	2,722 (23.9)	542 (18.8)	3,264 (22.9)
Crime in progress¶	1,822 (66.9)	333 (61.4)	2,155 (66.0)
Drug involvement	1,301 (11.4)	173 (6.0)	1,474 (10.3)
Gang related	1,004 (8.8)	96 (3.3)	1,100 (7.7)
Homicide event
Drive-by shooting	1,605 (14.1)	208 (7.2)	1,813 (12.7)
Walk-by assault	955 (8.4)	108 (3.8)	1,063 (7.4)
Victim used a weapon	963 (8.4)	39 (1.4)	1,002 (7.0)
Random violence	498 (4.4)	114 (4.0)	612 (4.3)
Caretaker abuse or neglect led to death	308 (2.7)	258 (9.0)	566 (4.0)
Justifiable self-defense	442 (3.9)	11 (<1.0)	453 (3.2)
Mentally ill suspect	192 (1.7)	181 (6.3)	373 (2.6)
Victim was a bystander	216 (1.9)	126 (4.4)	342 (2.4)
Brawl	272 (2.4)	12 (<1.0)	284 (2.0)
Victim was an intervener assisting a crime victim	147 (1.3)	23 (<1.0)	170 (1.2)
Stalking	22 (<1.0)	39 (1.4)	61 (<1.0)
Prostitution	25 (<1.0)	23 (<1.0)	48 (<1.0)
Victim was a police officer on duty	29 (<1.0)	3 (<1.0)	32 (<1.0)
Hate crime	14 (<1.0)	1 (<1.0)	15 (<1.0)
Mercy killing	1 (<1.0)	10 (<1.0)	11 (<1.0)
Total**	11,405 (68.0)	2,879 (73.9)	14,284 (69.1)

* Includes homicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. Total numbers do not equal the sums of the columns because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.

^† Denominator includes those homicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. The sums of percentages in columns exceed 100% because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.

^§ 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).

^¶ Denominator includes those decedents involved in an incident that was precipitated by another crime.

** Circumstances were unknown for 6,397 decedents (5,379 males and 1,018 females); total number of homicide decedents = 20,681 (16,784 males and 3,897 females).