TABLE 5. Number* and percentage† of homicides, by decedent’s sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states and District of Columbia,§ 2021.
| Precipitating circumstance | Male |
Female |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |
|
Mental health and substance use
| |||
| Substance use problem (excludes alcohol) |
1,756 (14.1) |
347 (10.7) |
2,103 (13.4)
|
| Current diagnosed mental health problem |
583 (4.7) |
263 (8.1) |
846 (5.4)
|
| Alcohol problem |
480 (3.9) |
117 (3.6) |
597 (3.8)
|
| History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem |
320 (2.6) |
156 (4.8) |
476 (3.0)
|
| Current mental health treatment |
176 (1.4) |
93 (2.9) |
269 (1.7)
|
| Non-adherence to mental health or substance use treatment |
50 (<1.0) |
22 (<1.0) |
72 (<1.0)
|
| Current depressed mood |
34 (<1.0) |
18 (<1.0) |
52 (<1.0)
|
| Other addiction (e.g., gambling or sex) |
28 (<1.0) |
7 (<1.0) |
35 (<1.0)
|
|
Interpersonal factor
| |||
| Intimate partner violence–related |
894 (7.2) |
1,348 (41.5) |
2,242 (14.3)
|
| Other relationship problem (nonintimate and nonfamily) |
1,029 (8.3) |
168 (5.2) |
1,197 (7.6)
|
| Family relationship problem |
620 (5.0) |
269 (8.3) |
889 (5.7)
|
| Jealousy (lovers’ triangle) |
240 (1.9) |
86 (2.6) |
326 (2.1)
|
| Victim of interpersonal violence during past month |
107 (<1.0) |
137 (4.2) |
244 (1.6)
|
| Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month |
184 (1.5) |
18 (<1.0) |
202 (1.3)
|
|
Life stressor
| |||
| Argument or conflict |
4,244 (34.2) |
1,012 (31.2) |
5,256 (33.5)
|
| Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl) |
1,924 (15.5) |
314 (9.7) |
2,238 (14.3)
|
| Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks |
884 (7.1) |
305 (9.4) |
1,189 (7.6)
|
| Household had contact with local authorities |
315 (2.5) |
245 (7.5) |
560 (3.6)
|
| Family stressor |
103 (<1.0) |
89 (2.7) |
192 (1.2)
|
| History of child abuse or neglect |
76 (<1.0) |
56 (1.7) |
132 (<1.0)
|
| Living transition or loss of independent living |
13 (<1.0) |
7 (<1.0) |
20 (<1.0)
|
|
Crime and criminal activity
| |||
| Precipitated by another crime |
2,840 (22.9) |
589 (18.1) |
3,430 (21.9)
|
| Crime in progress¶ |
1,931 (68.0) |
366 (62.1) |
2,297 (67.0)
|
| Drug involvement |
1,249 (10.1) |
169 (5.2) |
1,419 (9.1)
|
| Gang related |
930 (7.5) |
79 (2.4) |
1,009 (6.4)
|
|
Homicide event
| |||
| Drive-by shooting |
1,728 (13.9) |
245 (7.5) |
1,973 (12.6)
|
| Victim used a weapon |
1,150 (9.3) |
61 (1.9) |
1,211 (7.7)
|
| Walk-by assault |
1,031 (8.3) |
113 (3.5) |
1,144 (7.3)
|
| Caretaker abuse or neglect led to death |
422 (3.4) |
329 (10.1) |
752 (4.8)
|
| Justifiable self-defense |
467 (3.8) |
18 (<1.0) |
485 (3.1)
|
| Random violence |
392 (3.2) |
87 (2.7) |
479 (3.1)
|
| Mentally ill suspect |
244 (2.0) |
184 (5.7) |
428 (2.7)
|
| Victim was a bystander |
202 (1.6) |
141 (4.3) |
343 (2.2)
|
| Brawl |
254 (2.0) |
19 (<1.0) |
273 (1.7)
|
| Victim was an intervener assisting a crime victim |
135 (1.1) |
28 (<1.0) |
163 (1.0)
|
| Stalking |
36 (<1.0) |
40 (1.2) |
76 (<1.0)
|
| Prostitution |
44 (<1.0) |
21 (<1.0) |
65 (<1.0)
|
| Victim was a police officer on duty |
40 (<1.0) |
5 (<1.0) |
45 (<1.0)
|
| Mercy killing |
7 (<1.0) |
7 (<1.0) |
14 (<1.0)
|
| Hate crime |
9 (<1.0) |
3 (<1.0) |
12 (<1.0)
|
|
Child victim incident**
| |||
| Previous Child Protective Services report on victim’s household |
62 (6.2) |
35 (9.5) |
97 (7.1)
|
| Substance use in victim’s household |
42 (4.2) |
35 (9.5) |
77 (5.6)
|
| Corporal punishment |
10 (<1.0) |
9 (<1.0) |
19 (<1.0)
|
| Total†† | 12,426 (69.0) | 3,246 (76.0) | 15,674 (70.3) |
* 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 and District of Columbia, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 31 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in 13 counties (Bell, Bexar, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, Nueces, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson).
¶ Denominator includes those decedents involved in an incident that was precipitated by another crime.
** Circumstance variables in this category are applicable exclusively to children. Denominator includes decedents aged 0–17 years with known circumstance (1,002 males, 369 females, and 1,372 total). Circumstances were unknown for 528 child decedents; total number of children homicide decedents = 1,900.
†† Circumstances were unknown for 6,614 decedents (5,589 males and 1,025 females); total number of homicide decedents = 22,288 (18,015 males and 4,271 females).