January, 26 2010, 09:31am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Mandy Wimmer,
Communications Associate, 202-822-8200 x110, mwimmer@vpc.org
Pennsylvania Leads Nation in Per Capita Rate of Black Homicide Victimization
State's Black Homicide Victimization Rate of 36.36 Per 100,000 is Nearly Seven Times National Overall Homicide Rate of 5.30 per 100,000
WASHINGTON
Pennsylvania
leads the nation in the rate of black homicide victimization according
to a new analysis of unpublished Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data released today by the Violence
Policy Center (VPC). The annual study, "Black Homicide Victimization in
the United States: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data," (https://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide10.pdf)
uses 2007 data--the most recent data available from the FBI--and ranks
the 50 states according to their black homicide victimization rates. The
study found overwhelmingly that firearms, usually handguns, were the weapon
of choice in the homicides. This is the fourth year that the VPC has issued
the report and the third time in four years that Pennsylvania has topped
the ranking.
The top five states
with each state's corresponding black homicide victimization rate are:
1) Pennsylvania, 36.36 per 100,000; 2) Missouri, 34.82 per 100,000; 3)
Indiana, 30.89 per 100,000; 4 (tie) Nevada, 29.83 per 100,000; and, 4
(tie) Wisconsin, 29.83 per 100,000.
Josh Sugarmann, VPC
executive director and study co-author states, "While Pennsylvania has
the highest rate of black homicide victimization, this is a long-ignored
crisis that is devastating black teens and adults across our nation."
For PENNSYLVANIA,
the study found that in 2007:
- There were 485
black homicide victims, resulting in a homicide rate of 36.36 per 100,000.
Of these, 440 were male and 45 were female. - For homicides in
which the weapon used could be identified, 86 percent of black victims
(402 out of 467) were killed with guns. Of these, 87 percent (349 victims)
were known to be killed with handguns. There were 39 victims killed
with firearms where the type of gun was not stated. There were 38 victims
killed with knives or other cutting instruments, 12 victims killed by
bodily force, and 7 victims killed by a blunt object. - For homicides involving
black victims for which the victim to offender relationship could be
identified, 79 percent of black victims (166 out of 210) were murdered
by someone they knew. Forty-four victims were killed by strangers. - For homicides involving
black victims for which the circumstances could be identified, 51 percent
(171 out of 333) were not related to the commission of any other felony.
Of these, 85 percent (145 homicides) involved arguments between the
victim and the offender.
For the entire UNITED
STATES, the study found that in 2007:
- There were 7,387
black homicide victims in the United States. Of these, 6,345 (86 percent)
were male, and 1,042 (14 percent) were female. - The homicide rate
for black victims in the United States was 20.86 per 100,000. In comparison,
the overall national homicide rate was 5.30 per 100,000 and the national
homicide rate for whites was 3.11 per 100,000. - For homicides in
which the weapon used could be identified, 82 percent of black victims
(5,743 out of 7,011) were killed with guns. Of these, 73 percent (4,204
victims) were killed with handguns. There were 701 victims killed with
knives or other cutting instruments, 247 victims killed by bodily force,
and 200 victims killed by a blunt object. - For homicides in
which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 72 percent
of black victims (2,474 out of 3,431) were murdered by someone they
knew. Nine hundred fifty-seven victims were killed by strangers. - For homicides involving
black victims for which the circumstances could be identified, 69 percent
(3,023 out of 4,362) were not related to the commission of any other
felony. Of these, 55 percent (1,669 homicides) involved arguments between
the victim and the offender. Ten percent (294 homicides) were reported
to be gang-related. Forty-four percent of gang-related homicides (128
homicides) were in California, which may be in part due to more comprehensive
reporting. In California, 44 percent of non-felony related homicides
were reported to be gang-related.
The Violence Policy Center (VPC) works to stop gun death and injury through research, education, advocacy, and collaboration. Founded in 1988 by Executive Director Josh Sugarmann, a native of Newtown, Connecticut, the VPC informs the public about the impact of gun violence on their daily lives, exposes the profit-driven marketing and lobbying activities of the firearms industry and gun lobby, offers unique technical expertise to policymakers, organizations, and advocates on the federal, state, and local levels, and works for policy changes that save lives. The VPC has a long and proven record of policy successes on the federal, state, and local levels, leading the National Rifle Association to acknowledge us as "the most effective ... anti-gun rabble-rouser in Washington."
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