TABLE 7. Number* and percentage† of legal intervention§ deaths, by decedent sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020.
| Precipitating circumstance | Male |
Female |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |
|
Mental health and substance use
| |||
| Other substance use problem (excludes alcohol) |
194 (25.3) |
10 (41.7) |
204 (25.8)
|
| Current diagnosed mental health problem |
151 (19.7) |
8 (33.3) |
159 (20.1)
|
| History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem |
103 (13.4) |
5 (20.8) |
108 (13.7)
|
| Alcohol problem |
94 (12.3) |
3 (12.5) |
97 (12.3)
|
| Current mental health or substance use treatment |
60 (7.8) |
4 (16.7) |
64 (8.1)
|
| Current depressed mood |
23 (3.0) |
0 (—) |
23 (2.9)
|
| Other addiction (e.g., gambling or sexual) |
11 (1.4) |
0 (—) |
11 (1.4)
|
|
Interpersonal
| |||
| Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month |
99 (12.9) |
1 (4.2) |
100 (12.7)
|
| Intimate partner violence related |
79 (10.3) |
2 (8.3) |
81 (10.3)
|
| Family relationship problem |
40 (5.2) |
4 (16.7) |
44 (5.6)
|
| Other relationship problem (nonintimate) |
25 (3.3) |
1 (4.2) |
26 (3.3)
|
| Victim of interpersonal violence during past month |
2 (<1.0) |
1 (4.2) |
3 (<1.0)
|
| Jealousy (lovers’ triangle) |
1 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
1 (<1.0)
|
|
Life stressor
| |||
| Argument or conflict |
119 (15.5) |
3 (12.5) |
122 (15.4)
|
| Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks |
58 (7.6) |
2 (8.3) |
60 (7.6)
|
| Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl) |
53 (6.9) |
0 (0.0) |
53 (6.7)
|
| History of child abuse or neglect |
4 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
4 (<1.0)
|
|
Crime and criminal activity
| |||
| Drug involvement |
34 (4.4) |
2 (8.3) |
36 (4.6)
|
| Gang related |
11 (1.4) |
0 (0.0) |
11 (1.4)
|
|
Homicide event
| |||
| Victim used a weapon |
533 (69.6) |
15 (62.5) |
548 (69.4)
|
| Random violence |
6 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
6 (<1.0)
|
| Brawl |
4 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
4 (<1.0)
|
| Stalking |
4 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
4 (<1.0)
|
| Walk-by assault |
3 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
3 (<1.0)
|
| Drive-by shooting |
2 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
2 (<1.0)
|
| Mentally ill suspect |
1 (<1.0) |
0 (0.0) |
1 (<1.0)
|
| Total** | 766 (91.1) | 24 (72.7) | 790 (90.4) |
* Includes deaths 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 deaths 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.
§ The term legal intervention does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding the death.
¶ 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).
** Circumstances were unknown for 84 decedents (75 males and nine females); total number of legal intervention deaths = 874 (841 males and 33 females).