Murder: content revised 02/17/06.Definition The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR (Under Color Removal) A method for reducing the amount of printing ink used. It substitutes black for gray color (equal amounts of cyan, magenta and yellow). Thus black ink is used instead of the three CMY inks. See GCR and dot gain. ) Program defines murder and nonnegligent manslaughter manslaughter, homicide committed without justification or excuse but distinguished from murder by the absence of the element of malice aforethought. Modern criminal statutes usually divide it into degrees, the most common distinction being between voluntary and as the willful Intentional; not accidental; voluntary; designed. There is no precise definition of the term willful because its meaning largely depends on the context in which it appears. (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. The classification of this offense is based solely on police investigation as opposed op·pose v. op·posed, op·pos·ing, op·pos·es v.tr. 1. To be in contention or conflict with: oppose the enemy force. 2. to the determination of a court, medical examiner A public official charged with investigating all sudden, suspicious, unexplained, or unnatural deaths within the area of his or her appointed jurisdiction. A medical examiner differs from a Coroner in that a medical examiner is a physician. , coroner coroner (kôr`ənər), judicial officer responsible for investigating deaths occurring through violence or under suspicious circumstances. The office has been traced to the late 12th cent. , jury, or other judicial body. The UCR Program does not include the following situations in this offense classification: deaths caused by negligence negligence, in law, especially tort law, the breach of an obligation (duty) to act with care, or the failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would under similar circumstances. , suicide suicide [Lat.,=self-killing], the deliberate taking of one's own life. Suicide may be compulsory, prescribed by custom or enjoined by the authorities, usually as an alternative to death at the hands of others, or it may be committed for personal motives. , or accident; justifiable homicides justifiable homicide n. a killing without evil or criminal intent, for which there can be no blame, such as self-defense to protect oneself or to protect another, or the shooting by a law enforcement officer in fulfilling his/her duties. ; and attempts to murder or assaults to murder, which are scored as aggravated assaults A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he or she attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another or causes such injury purposely, knowingly, or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life; or attempts to cause or purposely or .
Trend
Rate per 100,000
Year Number of offenses inhabitants
2003 16,528 5.7
2004 16,137 5.5
Percent change -2.4 -3.3
National Volume, Trends, and Rates The UCR Program's homicide homicide (hŏm`əsīd), in law, the taking of human life. Homicides that are neither justifiable nor excusable are considered crimes. A criminal homicide committed with malice is known as murder, otherwise it is called manslaughter. data for 2004 showed that for the first time in 4 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time estimated number of murders in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. decreased. An estimated 16,137 persons were murdered nationwide, a decline of 2.4 percent from the 2003 figure. An analysis of 5- and 10-year trend data showed that the 2004 estimate increased 3.5 percent from the 2000 estimate, but decreased 25.3 percent from the estimated number of murders a decade ago (1995). Nationwide, the 2004 data yielded an estimated rate of 5.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. , a 3.3-percent decline from the 2003 rate and a 0.8-percent decrease compared with the 2000 rate. In addition, the 2004 rate was 33.2 percent lower than the national murder rate for 1995. (Based on Tables 1 and 1A.) Regional Offense Trends and Rates The UCR Program divides the United States into four regions: the Northeast “Northeastern” redirects here. For the Boston college, see Northeastern University, Boston. Northeast or north east is the ordinal direction halfway between north and east. It is the opposite of southwest. See boxing the compass. , the Midwest Midwest or Middle West, region of the United States centered on the western Great Lakes and the upper-middle Mississippi valley. It is a somewhat imprecise term that has been applied to the northern section of the land between the Appalachians , the South, and the West. (More details concerning geographic geographic /geo·graph·ic/ (je?o-graf´ik) in pathology, of or referring to a pattern that is well demarcated, resembling outlines on a map. geographic pertaining to geography. regions are provided in Appendix appendix, small, worm-shaped blind tube, about 3 in. (7.6 cm) long and 1-4 in. to 1 in. (.64–2.54 cm) thick, projecting from the cecum (part of the large intestine) on the right side of the lower abdominal cavity. III.) A regional overview of the 2004 murder data follows. The Northeast In 2004, the Northeast accounted for 18.6 percent of the Nation's population and 14.1 percent of the estimated number of murders. With an estimated 2,269 murders, the Northeast registered a 1.9-percent decline when compared with the 2003 estimate. The offense rate for this region was estimated at 4.2 murders per 100,000 residents, a 2.1-percent decline compared with the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.) The Midwest The Midwest accounted for 22.4 percent of the United States' total population and 19.3 percent of the estimated number of murders that occurred in 2004. There were an estimated 3,109 murders in this region, a figure 3.4 percent lower than the 2003 estimate. The Midwest experienced a murder rate of 4.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, a 3.9-percent decrease from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.) The South The Nation's most populous pop·u·lous adj. Containing many people or inhabitants; having a large population. [Middle English, from Latin popul region, the South, accounted for 36.1 percent of the total population in 2004. Forty-three (43.0) percent of the estimated number of murders were reported in this region. The estimated 6,942 murders reflected a 3.7-percent decline when compared with the previous year's figure. The region posted an estimated rate of 6.6 murders per 100,000 in population, a 5.0-percent decline from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.) The West Twenty-three percent of the Nation's inhabitants lived in the West in 2004, and 23.7 percent of the estimated number of murders were reported in this region. The West was the only region of the country in which the number increased (0.8 percent) from 2003 to 2004 for an estimated 3,817 murders. This region experienced a murder rate (5.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants) that remained virtually unchanged from the 2003 rate. (See Tables 3 and 4.) Community Types The UCR Program aggregates crime data for three community types: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), cities outside MSAs, and nonmetropolitan counties outside MSAs. In 2004, MSAs accounted for 82.9 percent of the Nation's population and 88.8 percent of the total estimated number of murders that occurred in the United States. With 14,334 homicides, MSAs experienced a rate of 5.9 murders per 100,000 residents. Cities outside MSAs accounted for 6.8 percent of the U.S. population and, with an estimated 704 murders, accounted for 4.4 percent of the murders in the Nation. The murder rate for these cities was 3.5 offenses per 100,000 in population. (Based on Table 2.) In 2004, a little over 10 percent (10.4) of the Nation's population was comprised of nonmetropolitan counties. These counties had 1,099 murders, which accounted for 6.8 percent of the total and a rate of 3.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. (Based on Table 2.) Population Groups: Trends and Rates The UCR Program uses the following population group designations in its data presentations: cities (grouped according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. population size) and counties (classified as either metropolitan or nonmetropolitan). A breakdown breakdown /break·down/ (brak´doun) 1. the act or process of ceasing to function. 2. an often sudden collapse in health. 3. loss of self-control. of these classifications is furnished fur·nish tr.v. fur·nished, fur·nish·ing, fur·nish·es 1. To equip with what is needed, especially to provide furniture for. 2. in Appendix III. A review of the data for the two-year period 2003 to 2004 revealed that the Nation's cities experienced a 5.1-percent decrease in the number of murders. Cities with populations under 10,000 residents had the greatest proportional proportional values expressed as a proportion of the total number of values in a series. proportional dwarf the patient is a miniature without disproportionate reductions or enlargements of body parts. decrease (-12.0 percent) in the number of murders. However, cities with 25,000 to 49,999 inhabitants were the only city group that experienced an increase (2.1 percent) in the number of homicides. A review of the county population groups showed that metropolitan counties also experienced an increase (1.9 percent) in the number when compared with the 2003 figure; however, nonmetropolitan counties had a 1.3-percent decrease. (See Table 12.) An examination of the 2004 data showed that cities collectively had a rate of 6.6 murders per 100,000 residents. The largest cities (those with 250,000 and over in population) experienced the highest rate among the city population groups (12.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants). The smallest cities (those under 10,000 in population) had the lowest murder rate (2.4 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants). The homicide rates for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties were 3.9 and 3.7 per 100,000 residents, respectively. (See Table 16.) Offense Analysis Supplementary Homicide Reports The UCR Program's Supplementary Homicide Reports provide information regarding the age, sex, and race of both the murder victim and the offender offender n. an accused defendant in a criminal case or one convicted of a crime. (See: defendant, accused) ; the type of weapon used in the offense; the relationship of the victim to the offender; and the circumstance Circumstance or circumstances can refer to:
tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. the incident. Of the estimated 16,137 murders that occurred in the United States in 2004, law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). contributing data to the UCR Program submitted Supplementary Homicide Reports for 14,121 of the murders. An overview of the information gleaned from these supplemental reports follows. Victims Based on 2004 supplemental homicide data (where the age, sex, or race of the murder victims were known), 90.2 percent of murder victims were adults and 9.8 percent of the victims were juveniles. Of the total number of homicide victims, 78.0 percent were male and 22.0 percent were female. Where the races of the victims were known, 49.8 percent of the victims were white, 47.6 percent were black, and 2.6 percent were American American, river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of Indian/Alaskan Native or Asian/Pacific Islander. (Based on Table 2.4.) Offenders The data for 2004 concerning the murders for which the offenders were known showed that 91.7 percent of the offenders were adults and 8.3 percent were juveniles. A breakdown of the data by gender showed that 90.1 percent of the offenders were male and 9.9 percent were female. In homicides where the race of the offender was known, 50.0 percent were black, 47.6 percent were white, and 2.4 percent were other races. (Based on Table 2.5.) Data from single victim/single offender incidents showed that 92.2 percent of black victims were murdered by black offenders, and 84.8 percent of white victims were murdered by white offenders. (Based on Table 2.7.) Weapons Of those incidents in which the murder weapon was specified spec·i·fy tr.v. spec·i·fied, spec·i·fy·ing, spec·i·fies 1. To state explicitly or in detail: specified the amount needed. 2. To include in a specification. 3. , 70.3 percent of the homicides that occurred in 2004 were committed with firearms This is an extensive list of small arms — pistol, machine gun, grenade launcher, anti-tank rifle — that includes variants. : Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
adj. 1. Almost exact or correct: the approximate time of the accident. 2. 12.4 of the murders were committed with other types or unspecified Adj. 1. unspecified - not stated explicitly or in detail; "threatened unspecified reprisals" specified - clearly and explicitly stated; "meals are at specified times" types of firearms. Knives knives n. Plural of knife. knives Noun the plural of knife knives knife or cutting instruments were used in 14.1 percent of the murders; personal weapons, such as hands, fists, and feet, were used in 7.0 percent of murders, and blunt blunt (blunt) having a thick or dull edge or point; not sharp. objects (i.e., clubs, hammers, etc.) were used in 5.0 percent of the homicides. Other weapons, such as poison poison, any agent that may produce chemically an injurious or deadly effect when introduced into the body in sufficient quantity. Some poisons can be deadly in minute quantities, others only if relatively large amounts are involved. , explosives The law of explosives covers dangerously volatile substances, including gasoline, oil, dynamite, and blasting caps filled with highly explosive compounds. Under the Police Power given to the states through the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. , narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. , etc., were used in 3.6 percent of the murders. (Based on Table 2.9.) Victim/Offender Relationships Of the homicides for which law enforcement provided supplemental data to the UCR Program, the victim-offender relationship was unknown for 44.1 percent of the victims. For the incidents in which the relationships were known, 76.8 percent of the victims knew their killers and 23.2 percent were slain by strangers Strangers can mean:
Circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or The supplemental homicide data showed that the circumstances were unknown for 35.0 percent of the murders that occurred in 2004. For the murders for which the circumstances were known, 22.8 percent of the murders involved another felony felony (fĕl`ənē), any grave crime, in contrast to a misdemeanor, that is so declared in statute or was so considered in common law. , such as forcible forc·i·ble adj. 1. Effected against resistance through the use of force: The police used forcible restraint in order to subdue the assailant. 2. Characterized by force; powerful. rape, robbery robbery, in law, felonious taking of property from a person against his will by threatening or committing force or violence. The injury or threat may be directed against the person robbed, his property, or the person or property of his relative or of anyone in his , or burglary burglary, at common law, the breaking and entering of a dwelling house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony, whether the intent is carried out or not. . Investigators suspected that another 1.3 percent of homicides likely resulted during another felonious Done with an intent to commit a serious crime or a felony; done with an evil heart or purpose; malicious; wicked; villainous. An aggravated assault, such as an assault with an intent to murder, is a felonious assault. activity. Law enforcement cited that arguments, including those over money or property, were the cause for 44.4 percent of the murders. Other circumstances, such as brawls and juvenile juvenile /ju·ve·nile/ (ju´vin-il) 1. pertaining to youth or childhood. 2. a youth or child; a young animal. 3. a cell or organism intermediate between immature and mature forms. gang killings, were noted in 12.8 percent of the murders. Specific circumstances were not provided for 18.8 percent of the incidents. (Based on Table 2.13.) Clearances Law enforcement agencies reporting crime to the UCR Program can clear, or "close," the offense in one of two ways: by arrest or, when elements beyond the control of law enforcement prevent the agency from arresting and formally charging the offender, by exceptional means. (Additional information regarding clearances is provided in Section III, Offenses Cleared.) Of all the crime categories, murder typically has the highest percentage of clearances. This trend continued in 2004 as law enforcement cleared 62.6 percent of the murders that occurred in the Nation. (See Table 25.) In the Nation's regions, law enforcement in the Northeast cleared 66.0 percent of their murders; agencies in the South and West cleared 65.7 percent and 58.3 percent, respectively; and law enforcement in the Midwest cleared 58.1 percent of their murder offenses. (See Table 26.) Clearance CLEARANCE, com. law. The name of a certificate given by the collector of a port, in which is stated the master or commander (naming him) of a ship or vessel named and described, bound for a port, named, and having on board goods described, has entered and cleared his ship or vessel data for the Nation's cities, metropolitan counties, and nonmetropolitan counties revealed that law enforcement agencies in these population groups cleared 61.2 percent, 64.4 percent, and 74.2 percent, respectively, of their murder offenses in 2004. Of the city population groups, law enforcement in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 cleared the highest percentage of their homicides (74.4 percent), and law enforcement in the largest cities (those with 250,000 or more inhabitants) cleared the lowest proportion (58.0 percent). (See Table 25.) Clearances and Juveniles Special conditions exist concerning clearances and juveniles. Data users should know that when an offender under the age of 18 is cited to appear in juvenile court juvenile court Special court handling problems of delinquent, neglected, or abused children. Two types of cases are processed by a juvenile court: civil matters, often concerning care of an abandoned or impoverished child, and criminal matters, arising from antisocial or before other juvenile authorities, the UCR Program considers the incident for which the juvenile is being held responsible to be cleared by arrest, although a physical arrest may not have occurred. In addition, clearances that include both adult and juvenile offenders are classified as clearances for crimes committed by adults. Additional details concerning clearances as they relate to juveniles are provided in Section III, Offenses Cleared. The percentage of clearances reflecting juveniles' involvement in crime is typically proportionately pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. lower for murder than for any other offense. This trend continued in 2004 as individuals under age 18 accounted for nearly 5 percent (4.7) of the murder clearances nationwide. In the Nation's cities collectively, 4.8 percent of murder clearances involved only juveniles. Among the city population groups, the Nation's largest cities (those with 250,000 or more residents) reported the highest percentage (5.7 percent) of clearances that involved solely juveniles. The lowest percentage of such clearances (1.8 percent) occurred in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999. In the two county groups, 5.8 percent of the murder clearances that involved solely juveniles were reported in the metropolitan counties and 2.3 percent of the clearances were reported in the nonmetropolitan counties. (See Table 28.) Justifiable Homicide Certain willful killings must be reported as justifiable jus·ti·fi·a·ble adj. Having sufficient grounds for justification; possible to justify: justifiable resentment. jus , or excusable. In the UCR Program, justifiable homicide is defined as and limited to: * The killing of a felon An individual who commits a crime of a serious nature, such as Burglary or murder. A person who commits a felony. felon n. a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a crime punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison. by a peace officer in the line of duty In the Line of Duty may refer to:
* The killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen. Because these killings are determined through law enforcement investigation to be justifiable, they are tabulated separately from the murder and nonnegligent manslaughter classification. During 2004, law enforcement agencies provided supplemental data for 666 justifiable homicides. A breakdown of those figures revealed that law enforcement officers justifiably jus·ti·fi·a·ble adj. Having sufficient grounds for justification; possible to justify: justifiable resentment. jus killed 437 felons and private citizens justifiably killed 229 felons. Tables 2.15 and 2.16 provide additional information about justifiable homicides.
Table 2.2
Murder
Percent Distribution by Month, 2000-2004
Month 2000 2001 (1) 2002 2003 2004
January 8.4 7.9 8.2 7.7 7.9
February 7.3 6.2 6.8 6.8 6.7
March 7.6 7.1 7.8 8.0 8.4
April 7.7 7.9 7.7 8.3 8.0
May 8.5 8.3 8.0 8.7 8.8
June 8.5 8.5 8.1 8.3 8.3
July 9.3 9.5 9.7 9.3 9.5
August 9.4 9.0 9.2 9.1 9.4
September 8.3 8.6 9.7 8.6 8.6
October 8.7 9.3 8.4 8.3 8.3
November 7.7 8.5 7.9 7.8 7.9
December 8.7 9.2 8.6 9.0 8.1
(1) The murder and nonnegligent homicides that occurred
as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, are
not included.
Table 2.3
Murder Victims
by Race and Sex, 2004
Sex
Race Total Male Female Unknown
White 6,929 5,031 1,896 2
Black 6,632 5,562 1,067 3
Other race 365 269 95 1
Unknown race 195 128 41 26
Total 14,121 10,990 3,099 32
Table 2.4
Murder Victims
by Age, Sex, and Race, 2004
Sex
Age Total Male Female Unknown
Total 14,121 10,990 3,099 32
Percent distribution (1) 100.0 77.8 21.9 0.2
Under 18 (2) 1,365 928 432 5
Under 22 (2) 3,405 2,665 734 6
18 and over (2) 12,501 9,887 2,608 6
Infant (under 1) 176 85 88 3
1 to 4 328 179 147 2
5 to 8 73 34 39 0
9 to 12 81 48 33 0
13 to 16 411 325 86 0
17 to 19 1,244 1,064 180 0
20 to 24 2,629 2,287 341 1
25 to 29 2,137 1,833 304 0
30 to 34 1,547 1,234 312 1
35 to 39 1,224 925 298 1
40 to 44 1,144 810 334 0
45 to 49 920 647 272 1
50 to 54 643 497 145 1
55 to 59 389 282 107 0
60 to 64 273 187 86 0
65 to 69 204 132 72 0
70 to 74 144 98 46 0
75 and over 299 148 150 1
Unknown 255 175 59 21
Race
Age White Black Other Unknown
Total 6,929 6,632 365 195
Percent distribution (1) 49.1 47.0 2.6 1.4
Under 18 (2) 689 618 34 24
Under 22 (2) 1,550 1,724 94 37
18 and over (2) 6,119 5,940 327 115
Infant (under 1) 110 53 4 9
1 to 4 182 131 8 7
5 to 8 43 29 0 1
9 to 12 41 35 4 1
13 to 16 177 218 10 6
17 to 19 556 649 37 2
20 to 24 1,072 1,470 64 23
25 to 29 885 1,196 37 19
30 to 34 688 801 47 11
35 to 39 617 561 33 13
40 to 44 627 479 31 7
45 to 49 538 347 23 12
50 to 54 378 235 21 9
55 to 59 241 131 10 7
60 to 64 180 78 10 5
65 to 69 155 37 10 2
70 to 74 94 41 8 1
75 and over 224 67 4 4
Unknown 121 74 4 56
(1) Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
(2) Does not include unknown ages.
Table 2.5
Murder Offenders
by Age, Sex, and Race, 2004
Sex
Age Total Male Female Unknown
Total 15,935 10,262 1,130 4,543
Percent distribution (1) 100.0 64.4 7.1 28.5
Under 18 (2) 854 794 59 1
Under 22 (2) 3,275 3,037 235 3
18 and over (2) 9,467 8,418 1,036 13
Infant (under 1) 0 0 0 0
1 to 4 0 0 0 0
5 to 8 2 2 0 0
9 to 12 16 14 2 0
13 to 16 480 440 39 1
17 to 19 1,555 1,450 105 0
20 to 24 2,726 2,516 207 3
25 to 29 1,669 1,456 209 4
30 to 34 1,047 911 134 2
35 to 39 782 659 123 0
40 to 44 737 630 107 0
45 to 49 508 432 76 0
50 to 54 316 272 41 3
55 to 59 179 157 21 1
60 to 64 124 110 14 0
65 to 69 60 54 6 0
70 to 74 48 41 7 0
75 and over 72 68 4 0
Unknown 5,614 1,050 35 4,529
Race
Age White Black Other Unknown
Total 5,339 5,608 271 4,717
Percent distribution (1) 33.5 35.2 1.7 29.6
Under 18 (2) 365 463 22 4
Under 22 (2) 1,389 1,776 86 24
18 and over (2) 4,750 4,392 242 83
Infant (under 1) 0 0 0 0
1 to 4 0 0 0 0
5 to 8 2 0 0 0
9 to 12 8 7 1 0
13 to 16 210 256 10 4
17 to 19 645 853 46 11
20 to 24 1,159 1,470 75 22
25 to 29 792 825 38 14
30 to 34 547 463 27 10
35 to 39 422 342 14 4
40 to 44 454 257 17 9
45 to 49 333 159 14 2
50 to 54 201 98 10 7
55 to 59 126 48 3 2
60 to 64 84 37 1 2
65 to 69 40 19 1 0
70 to 74 32 12 4 0
75 and over 60 9 3 0
Unknown 224 753 7 4,630
(1) Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
(2) Does not include unknown ages.
Table 2.6
Murder Victim/Offender Relationship
by Age, 2004
[Single victim/single offender]
Age of offender
Age of victim Total Under 18 18 and over Unknown
Total 7,039 355 6,042 642
Under 18 720 107 583 30
18 and over 6,216 245 5,372 599
Unknown 103 3 87 13
NOTE: This table is based upon incidents where some information
about the offender is known by law enforcement.
It excludes incidents reported with a value of "unknown
offender."
Table 2.7
Murder Victim/Offender Relationship
by Race and Sex, 2004
[Single victim/single offender]
Race of offender
Race of victim Total White Black Other Unknown
White victims 3,727 3,123 522 37 45
Black victims 3,067 228 2,784 7 48
Other race victims 177 42 23 110 2
Unknown race 68 34 15 1 18
Sex of offender
Race of victim Male Female Unknown
White victims 3,309 373 45
Black victims 2,738 281 48
Other race victims 159 16 2
Unknown race 40 10 18
Race of offender
Sex of victim Total White Black Other Unknown
Male victims 5,050 2,253 2,613 110 74
Female victims 1,920 1,139 716 44 21
Unknown sex 69 35 15 1 18
Sex of offender
Sex of victim Male Female Unknown
Male victims 4,488 488 74
Female victims 1,717 182 21
Unknown sex 41 10 18
NOTE: This table is based upon incidents where some information about
the offender is known by law enforcement. It excludes incidents
reported with a value of "unknown offender."
Table 2.8
Murder, Types of Weapons Used
Percent Distribution by Region, 2004
Knives or
Total all cutting
Region weapons (1) Firearms instruments
Total 100.0 66.0 13.2
Northeast 100.0 61.3 16.5
Midwest 100.0 66.5 11.3
South 100.0 66.6 12.9
West 100.0 67.7 13.1
Unknown Personal
or other weapons
dangerous (hands, fists,
Region weapons feet, etc.) (2)
Total 14.1 6.6
Northeast 15.8 6.4
Midwest 16.3 5.9
South 13.9 6.6
West 12.0 7.2
(1) Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
(2) Pushed is included in personal weapons.
Table 2.9
Murder Victims
by Weapon, 2000-2004
Weapons 2000 2001 (1) 2002
Total 13,230 14,061 14,263
Total firearms: 8,661 8,890 9,528
Handguns 6,778 6,931 7,294
Rifles 411 386 488
Shotguns 485 511 486
Other guns 53 59 75
Firearms, type not stated 934 1,003 1,185
Knives or cutting instruments 1,782 1,831 1,776
Blunt objects (clubs,
hammers, etc.) 617 680 681
Personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.) (2) 927 961 954
Poison 8 12 23
Explosives 9 4 11
Fire 134 109 103
Narcotics 20 37 48
Drowning 15 23 20
Strangulation 166 153 145
Asphyxiation 92 116 100
Other weapons or
weapons not stated 799 1,245 874
Weapons 2003 2004
Total 14,465 14,121
Total firearms: 9,659 9,326
Handguns 7,745 7,265
Rifles 392 393
Shotguns 454 507
Other guns 76 117
Firearms, type not stated 992 1,044
Knives or cutting instruments 1,828 1,866
Blunt objects (clubs,
hammers, etc.) 650 663
Personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.) (2) 962 933
Poison 9 11
Explosives 4 1
Fire 170 114
Narcotics 44 76
Drowning 17 15
Strangulation 184 155
Asphyxiation 131 105
Other weapons or
weapons not stated 807 856
(1) The murder and nonnegligent homicides that occurred as a result
of the events of September 11, 2001, are not included.
(2) Pushed is included in personal weapons.
Table 2.10
Murder Victims by Age
by Weapon, 2004
Weapons
Knives or
Total murder cutting
Age victims Firearms instruments
Total 14,121 9,326 1,866
Percent distribution (3) 100.0 66.0 13.2
Under 18 (4) 1,365 653 120
Under 22 (4) 3,405 2,275 338
18 and over (4) 12,501 8,576 1,716
Infant (under 176 6 2
1 to 4 328 33 17
5 to 8 73 26 8
9 to 12 81 30 23
13 to 16 411 323 33
17 to 19 1,244 994 142
20 to 24 2,629 2,102 280
25 to 29 2,137 1,672 210
30 to 34 1,547 1,158 202
35 to 39 1,224 806 187
40 to 44 1,144 679 188
45 to 49 920 496 192
50 to 54 643 335 111
55 to 59 389 196 74
60 to 64 273 133 47
65 to 69 204 99 36
70 to 74 144 54 25
75 and over 299 87 59
Unknown 255 97 30
Weapons
Blunt Personal
objects weapons
(clubs, (hands, fists,
hammers, feet, etc.)
Age etc.) (1) Poison
Total 663 933 11
Percent distribution (3) 4.7 6.6 0.1
Under 18 (4) 57 295 3
Under 22 (4) 93 350 3
18 and over (4) 595 611 8
Infant (under 9 93 0
1 to 4 32 151 0
5 to 8 7 15 0
9 to 12 1 10 1
13 to 16 5 16 2
17 to 19 23 34 0
20 to 24 47 60 3
25 to 29 50 58 1
30 to 34 32 59 0
35 to 39 73 51 1
40 to 44 73 81 0
45 to 49 65 93 0
50 to 54 71 57 0
55 to 59 45 33 2
60 to 64 27 29 0
65 to 69 18 22 1
70 to 74 18 12 0
75 and over 56 32 0
Unknown 11 27 0
Weapons
Age Explosives Fire Narcotics
Total 1 114 76
Percent distribution (3) * 0.8 0.5
Under 18 (4) 0 24 15
Under 22 (4) 0 33 19
18 and over (4) 1 84 58
Infant (under 0 1 0
1 to 4 0 12 8
5 to 8 0 3 1
9 to 12 0 5 3
13 to 16 0 3 3
17 to 19 0 3 3
20 to 24 0 11 7
25 to 29 0 12 11
30 to 34 0 5 1
35 to 39 0 9 5
40 to 44 0 17 4
45 to 49 0 3 3
50 to 54 0 5 2
55 to 59 0 3 0
60 to 64 1 1 2
65 to 69 0 5 2
70 to 74 0 5 5
75 and over 0 5 13
Unknown 0 6 3
Weapons
Other weapon
Strangu- or weapon not
Age lation Asphyxiation stated (2)
Total 155 105 871
Percent distribution (3) 1.1 0.7 6.2
Under 18 (4) 13 42 143
Under 22 (4) 24 52 218
18 and over (4) 140 58 654
Infant (under 2 11 52
1 to 4 3 21 51
5 to 8 0 4 9
9 to 12 3 2 3
13 to 16 4 4 18
17 to 19 6 1 38
20 to 24 21 10 88
25 to 29 17 7 99
30 to 34 13 4 73
35 to 39 22 6 64
40 to 44 17 9 76
45 to 49 8 4 56
50 to 54 8 5 49
55 to 59 5 3 28
60 to 64 8 2 23
65 to 69 5 0 16
70 to 74 8 1 16
75 and over 3 6 38
Unknown 2 5 74
(1) Pushed is included in personal weapons.
(2) Includes drowning.
(3) Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
(4) Does not include unknown ages.
* Less than one-tenth of 1 percent.
Table 2.11
Murder Circumstances
by Relationship, (1) 2004
Total
murder
Circumstances victims Husband Wife Mother
Total 14,121 149 579 121
Felony type total: 2,089 3 21 5
Rape 36 0 0 0
Robbery 988 1 0 1
Burglary 77 0 0 0
Larceny-theft 14 0 0 1
Motor vehicle theft 38 0 0 1
Arson 28 0 1 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 9 0 0 0
Other sex offenses 14 0 1 0
Narcotic drug laws 554 0 1 1
Gambling 7 0 0 0
Other--not specified 324 2 18 1
Suspected felony type 117 1 1 0
Other than felony type
total: 6,972 125 467 90
Romantic triangle 97 3 7 0
Child killed by babysitter 17 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 139 2 3 0
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 98 1 1 2
Argument over money
or property 218 0 3 3
Other arguments 3,758 97 318 47
Gangland killings 95 0 0 0
Juvenile gang killings 804 0 0 0
Institutional killings 17 0 0 0
Sniper attack 1 0 0 0
Other--not specified 1,728 22 135 38
Unknown 4,943 20 90 26
Circumstances Father Son Daughter Brother
Total 110 233 212 86
Felony type total: 8 13 17 2
Rape 0 0 0 0
Robbery 1 0 0 2
Burglary 3 0 0 0
Larceny-theft 1 0 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 1 0 0 0
Arson 0 0 4 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 0 0
Other sex offenses 0 0 1 0
Narcotic drug laws 0 1 0 0
Gambling 0 0 0 0
Other--not specified 2 12 12 0
Suspected felony type 0 1 2 1
Other than felony type
total: 85 186 159 73
Romantic triangle 0 0 0 0
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 1 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 0 1 0 4
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 2 1 1
Argument over money
or property 3 0 0 4
Other arguments 59 41 21 52
Gangland killings 0 0 0 1
Juvenile gang killings 0 0 0 0
Institutional killings 0 0 0 0
Sniper attack 0 0 0 0
Other--not specified 23 142 136 11
Unknown 17 33 34 10
Other Acquain-
Circumstances Sister family tance Friend
Total 31 283 3,233 304
Felony type total: 1 30 497 31
Rape 0 2 8 0
Robbery 1 15 172 8
Burglary 0 0 11 1
Larceny-theft 0 0 1 0
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 8 0
Arson 0 0 5 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 4 0
Other sex offenses 0 0 9 0
Narcotic drug laws 0 7 194 16
Gambling 0 0 4 0
Other--not specified 0 6 81 6
Suspected felony type 0 0 5 0
Other than felony type
total: 23 209 2,168 220
Romantic triangle 0 2 56 4
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 14 1
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 0 7 52 11
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 1 48 8
Argument over money
or property 1 9 105 18
Other arguments 15 130 1,239 142
Gangland killings 0 0 32 1
Juvenile gang killings 0 1 191 2
Institutional killings 0 0 14 0
Sniper attack 0 0 0 0
Other--not specified 7 59 417 33
Unknown 7 44 563 53
Circumstances Boyfriend Girlfriend Neighbor
Total 147 445 110
Felony type total: 3 18 19
Rape 0 0 1
Robbery 1 1 7
Burglary 0 1 3
Larceny-theft 0 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 1 1 0
Arson 0 2 1
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 0
Other sex offenses 0 0 1
Narcotic drug laws 0 1 3
Gambling 0 0 0
Other--not specified 1 12 3
Suspected felony type 0 0 0
Other than felony type
total: 128 362 80
Romantic triangle 3 6 2
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 3 3 2
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 2 1
Argument over money
or property 0 4 2
Other arguments 106 280 66
Gangland killings 0 0 0
Juvenile gang killings 0 0 1
Institutional killings 0 0 0
Sniper attack 0 0 0
Other--not specified 16 67 6
Unknown 16 65 11
Circumstances Employee Employer Stranger Unknown
Total 7 10 1,827 6,234
Felony type total: 2 4 538 877
Rape 0 1 5 19
Robbery 0 3 355 420
Burglary 1 0 25 32
Larceny-theft 0 0 7 4
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 12 14
Arson 0 0 9 6
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 2 3
Other sex offenses 0 0 1 1
Narcotic drug laws 0 0 61 269
Gambling 0 0 1 2
Other--not specified 1 0 60 107
Suspected felony type 0 0 4 102
Other than felony type
total: 3 4 980 1,610
Romantic triangle 0 0 9 5
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 0 1
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 0 0 31 20
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 0 10 20
Argument over money
or property 0 0 25 41
Other arguments 3 4 521 617
Gangland killings 0 0 12 49
Juvenile gang killings 0 0 164 445
Institutional killings 0 0 1 2
Sniper attack 0 0 0 1
Other--not specified 0 0 207 409
Unknown 2 2 305 3,645
(1) Relationship is that of victim to offender.
NOTE: The relationship categories of husband and wife include both
common-law and ex-spouses. The categories of mother, father, sister,
brother, son, and daughter include stepparents, stepchildren, and
stepsiblings. The category of acquaintance includes homosexual
relationships and the composite category of other known to victim.
Table 2.12
Murder Circumstances
by Weapon, 2004
Total
murder Total
Circumstances victims firearms Handguns Rifles
Total 14,121 9,326 7,265 393
Felony type total: 2,089 1,497 1,196 52
Rape 36 2 0 0
Robbery 988 745 631 25
Burglary 77 43 28 0
Larceny-theft 14 12 10 0
Motor vehicle theft 38 26 14 0
Arson 28 1 1 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 9 1 1 0
Other sex offenses 14 2 1 0
Narcotic drug laws 554 462 371 14
Gambling 7 6 5 0
Other--not specified 324 197 134 13
Suspected felony type 117 94 70 6
Other than felony type total: 6,972 4,298 3,437 231
Romantic triangle 97 67 55 5
Child killed by babysitter 17 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 139 62 45 11
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 98 61 48 4
Argument over money
or property 218 157 132 5
Other arguments 3,758 2,211 1,761 115
Gangland killings 95 87 58 2
Juvenile gang killings 804 757 687 29
Institutional killings 17 0 0 0
Sniper attack 1 1 1 0
Other--not specified 1,728 895 650 60
Unknown 4,943 3,437 2,562 104
Other guns Knives or
or type cutting
Circumstances Shotguns not stated instruments
Total 507 1,161 1,866
Felony type total: 73 176 184
Rape 1 1 8
Robbery 29 60 91
Burglary 8 7 13
Larceny-theft 1 1 1
Motor vehicle theft 0 12 7
Arson 0 0 1
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 3
Other sex offenses 1 0 2
Narcotic drug laws 20 57 27
Gambling 0 1 0
Other--not specified 13 37 31
Suspected felony type 1 17 7
Other than felony type total: 301 329 1,193
Romantic triangle 4 3 22
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 2 4 33
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 7 2 14
Argument over money
or property 16 4 31
Other arguments 191 144 850
Gangland killings 2 25 3
Juvenile gang killings 15 26 29
Institutional killings 0 0 4
Sniper attack 0 0 0
Other--not specified 64 121 207
Unknown 132 639 482
Blunt Personal weapons
objects (clubs, (hands, fists,
Circumstances hammers, etc.) feet, etc.)
Total 663 932
Felony type total: 98 104
Rape 5 11
Robbery 59 42
Burglary 5 8
Larceny-theft 0 1
Motor vehicle theft 3 0
Arson 1 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 1 0
Other sex offenses 1 5
Narcotic drug laws 10 10
Gambling 1 0
Other--not specified 12 27
Suspected felony type 5 3
Other than felony type total: 341 637
Romantic triangle 3 4
Child killed by babysitter 2 10
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 6 23
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 7 8
Argument over money
or property 11 9
Other arguments 206 292
Gangland killings 1 2
Juvenile gang killings 9 5
Institutional killings 1 6
Sniper attack 0 0
Other--not specified 95 278
Unknown 219 188
Pushed or
thrown out
Circumstances Poison window Explosives
Total 11 1 1
Felony type total: 3 0 0
Rape 0 0 0
Robbery 1 0 0
Burglary 0 0 0
Larceny-theft 0 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 0
Arson 0 0 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 0
Other sex offenses 0 0 0
Narcotic drug laws 1 0 0
Gambling 0 0 0
Other--not specified 1 0 0
Suspected felony type 0 0 0
Other than felony type total: 6 1 1
Romantic triangle 0 0 0
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 1 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 1 0 0
Argument over money
or property 0 0 0
Other arguments 2 1 1
Gangland killings 0 0 0
Juvenile gang killings 0 0 0
Institutional killings 0 0 0
Sniper attack 0 0 0
Other--not specified 2 0 0
Unknown 2 0 0
Circumstances Fire Narcotics Drowning
Total 114 76 15
Felony type total: 45 23 5
Rape 0 0 0
Robbery 2 1 1
Burglary 0 0 0
Larceny-theft 0 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 0
Arson 24 0 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 0 0 0
Other sex offenses 0 1 1
Narcotic drug laws 7 21 0
Gambling 0 0 0
Other--not specified 12 0 3
Suspected felony type 2 1 0
Other than felony type total: 33 46 9
Romantic triangle 0 0 0
Child killed by babysitter 0 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 1 0 0
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 4 0
Argument over money
or property 0 0 0
Other arguments 23 4 0
Gangland killings 0 0 0
Juvenile gang killings 0 0 0
Institutional killings 0 0 0
Sniper attack 0 0 0
Other--not specified 9 38 9
Unknown 34 6 1
Circumstances Strangulation Asphyxiation Other
Total 155 105 856
Felony type total: 34 13 83
Rape 5 4 1
Robbery 15 4 27
Burglary 1 2 5
Larceny-theft 0 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 2
Arson 0 0 1
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 4 0 0
Other sex offenses 1 0 1
Narcotic drug laws 4 0 12
Gambling 0 0 0
Other--not specified 4 3 34
Suspected felony type 0 1 4
Other than felony type total: 55 66 286
Romantic triangle 0 0 1
Child killed by babysitter 0 1 4
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 0 0 13
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 0 1 2
Argument over money
or property 5 0 5
Other arguments 35 21 112
Gangland killings 0 0 2
Juvenile gang killings 0 1 3
Institutional killings 3 2 1
Sniper attack 0 0 0
Other--not specified 12 40 143
Unknown 66 25 483
Table 2.13
Murder Circumstances, 2000-2004
Circumstances 2000 2001 (1)
Total 13,230 14,061
Felony type total: 2,229 2,364
Rape 58 61
Robbery 1,077 1,080
Burglary 76 80
Larceny-theft 23 17
Motor vehicle theft 25 22
Arson 81 71
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 6 5
Other sex offenses 10 7
Narcotic drug laws 589 575
Gambling 12 3
Other--not specified 272 443
Suspected felony type 60 72
Other than felony type total: 6,871 7,073
Romantic triangle 122 118
Child killed by babysitter 30 37
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 188 152
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 99 118
Argument over money
or property 206 198
Other arguments 3,589 3,618
Gangland killings 65 76
Juvenile gang killings 653 862
Institutional killings 10 8
Sniper attack 8 7
Other--not specified 1,901 1,879
Unknown 4,070 4,552
Circumstances 2002 2003 2004
Total 14,263 14,465 14,121
Felony type total: 2,340 2,385 2,089
Rape 44 43 36
Robbery 1,111 1,061 988
Burglary 97 94 77
Larceny-theft 16 21 14
Motor vehicle theft 15 32 38
Arson 59 77 28
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 8 16 9
Other sex offenses 8 10 14
Narcotic drug laws 664 679 554
Gambling 5 6 7
Other--not specified 313 346 324
Suspected felony type 66 87 117
Other than felony type total: 7,185 7,130 6,972
Romantic triangle 129 98 97
Child killed by babysitter 39 27 17
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 149 128 139
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 85 53 98
Argument over money
or property 203 220 218
Other arguments 3,577 3,850 3,758
Gangland killings 75 114 95
Juvenile gang killings 911 819 804
Institutional killings 12 13 17
Sniper attack 10 2 1
Other--not specified 1,995 1,806 1,728
Unknown 4,672 4,863 4,943
(1) The murder and nonnegligent homicides that occurred
as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, are not
included.
Table 2.14
Murder Circumstances
by Victim's Sex, 2004
Total
murder
Circumstances victims Male Female Unknown
Total 14,121 10,990 3,099 32
Felony type total: 2,089 1,718 370 1
Rape 36 0 36 0
Robbery 988 874 113 1
Burglary 77 52 25 0
Larceny-theft 14 12 2 0
Motor vehicle theft 38 33 5 0
Arson 28 12 16 0
Prostitution and
commercialized vice 9 3 6 0
Other sex offenses 14 8 6 0
Narcotic drug laws 554 505 49 0
Gambling 7 6 1 0
Other--not specified 324 213 111 0
Suspected felony type 117 95 22 0
Other than felony type total: 6,972 5,227 1,739 6
Romantic triangle 97 76 21 0
Child killed by babysitter 17 7 10 0
Brawl due to influence
of alcohol 139 120 19 0
Brawl due to influence
of narcotics 98 83 14 1
Argument over money
or property 218 190 28 0
Other arguments 3,758 2,761 995 2
Gangland killings 95 90 5 0
Juvenile gang killings 804 776 28 0
Institutional killings 17 17 0 0
Sniper attack 1 1 0 0
Other--not specified 1,728 1,106 619 3
Unknown 4,943 3,950 968 25
Table 2.15
Justifiable Homicide
by Weapon, Law Enforcement, (1) 2000-2004
Total
Year Total firearms Handguns Rifles Shotguns
2000 309 308 274 14 13
2001 378 375 318 25 11
2002 341 338 296 19 7
2003 373 366 318 16 9
2004 437 434 372 28 7
Firearms, Knives or Other
type not cutting dangerous Personal
Year stated instruments weapons weapons
2000 7 0 1 0
2001 21 0 3 0
2002 16 0 3 0
2003 23 0 2 5
2004 27 0 2 1
(1) The killing of a felon by a law enforcement officer
in the line of duty.
Table 2.16
Justifiable Homicide
by Weapon, Private Citizen, (1) 2000-2004
Total
Year Total firearms Handguns Rifles Shotguns
2000 164 138 123 4 7
2001 222 183 143 10 13
2002 233 189 158 11 13
2003 247 203 163 6 20
2004 229 170 139 14 7
Firearms, Knives or Other
type not cutting dangerous Personal
Year stated instruments weapons weapons
2000 4 15 8 3
2001 17 26 6 7
2002 7 26 9 9
2003 14 23 13 8
2004 10 38 10 11
(1) The killing of a felon, during the commisison of
a felony, by a private citizen.
Figure 2.3
Murder
Percent Change from 2000
Rate per
100,000
Volume inhabitants
2000 0 0
2001 2.9 1.5
2002 4.1 1.8
2003 6.0 2.6
2004 3.5 -0.8
Note: Table made from line graph.
Figure 2.4
Murder by Relationship (1)
Percent Distribution, (2) Volume by Known Relationship, 2004
Family 12.8% 1,804 victims
Husband 149
Wife 579
Mother 121
Father 110
Son 233
Daughter 212
Brother 86
Sister 31
Other family 283
Stranger 12.9% 1,827 victims
Other Known 30.1% 4,256 victims
Acquaintance 3,233
Friend 304
Boyfriend 147
Girlfriend 445
Neighbor 110
Employee 7
Employer 10
Unknown 44.1% 6,234 victims
(1) Relationship is that of victim to offender.
(2) Due to rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
Note: Figures are based on 14,121 murder victims for whom
Supplementary Homicide Report data were received.
Note: Table made from bar graph.
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