For Release: Wednesday, October 17, 2001
Nevada Ranks #1 in Rate of Women Murdered by Men
WASHINGTON, DC—The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today released When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 1999 Homicide Data, an annual report detailing female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The report provides a state-by-state ranking of these female homicide rates. Nevada ranked first in the rate of women killed by men.
“The attempts by some members of the gun lobby to capitalize on recent tragedies to promote gun sales is, at best, craven, and at worst, deadly. With ready access to handguns, intimate acquaintances pose a much greater danger to women than the mystery assailant the gun industry frequently uses to sell their deadly weapons,” said Health Policy Analyst and study author, Karen Brock, MPH. “All too often, women purchase handguns in a misguided effort to protect themselves. Medical studies and government data consistently show that when a firearm is brought into the home, it is far more likely to result in a homicide, suicide, or unintentional death than to be used for self-defense.”
In addition to Nevada, the top 10 states include: Alaska, Louisiana, Arizona, South Carolina, Vermont, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, and North Carolina.
| Ranking |
State |
Number of Homicides | Homicide Rate per 100,000 |
| 1 | Nevada | 30 | 3.38 |
| 2 | Alaska | 9 | 3.06 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 57 | 2.51 |
| 4 | Arizona | 54 | 2.24 |
| 5 | South Carolina | 42 | 2.09 |
| 6 | Vermont | 6 | 1.99 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 55 | 1.94 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 33 | 1.92 |
| 9 | Missouri | 53 | 1.88 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 74 |
1.88 |
About the Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
