Firearms Homicide

1. Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home, Arthur L. Kellermann, MD, MPH; Frederick P. Rivara, MD, MPH; et al, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 329, No. 15, October 7, 1993, pp. 1084-1091.

   Using data from three U.S. counties, this study examines risk factors that can lead to homicide in the home. These include firearms availability, illicit-drug use, alcohol consumption, and domestic violence.

   Key Fact:

   • The presence of a gun in the home makes it nearly three times more likely that someone will be murdered by a family member or intimate partner.

   
   

2. Handgun Regulations, Crime, Assaults, and Homicide: A Tale of Two Cities, John Henry Sloan, MD, MPH; Arthur L. Kellermann, MD, MPH; et al, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 319, No. 19, November 10, 1988, pp. 1256-1262.

   This classic study compares the rate of homicides, assaults, and other crimes in Seattle and Vancouver from 1980 through 1986 to determine the effect of handgun regulations on the crime rate. Although similar to Seattle, Washington, in many ways, Vancouver, British Columbia, has a more restrictive approach to handgun possession. This study found that restrictions on handgun access reduce the rate of homicide.

   Key Facts:

   • Although the assault rate was only slightly higher in Seattle than Vancouver, the rate of assault involving firearms was seven times higher in Seattle.
   • The risk of death from homicide was found to be significantly higher in Seattle than in Vancouver. This excess risk was explained by a nearly five-fold higher risk of being murdered with a handgun in Seattle as compared with Vancouver.
   • Rates of homicide involving means other than guns were not substantially different in the two cities.

   
   

3. Trends in Rates of Homicide�United States, 1985-1994, MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), Vol. 45, No. 22, June 7, 1996, pp. 460-464.

   Covering a 10-year period (1985 to 1994), this study shows that the increase in homicide from 1985 to 1991 was driven by a jump in firearm homicides among young people aged 15 years to 24 years old. From 1992 to 1994 homicides among persons aged 15 years to 24 years old increased and then stabilized, but remained at record-high levels.

   Key Facts:

   • During the years 1985 to 1994, the percentage of firearm-related homicides among all homicides in the total population increased from 60% to 72%.
   • In the same period, firearms homicides increased from 67% to 87% among persons aged 15 years to 24 years old.
   • These increases illustrate that changes in overall homicide rates primarily reflect changes in firearm-related homicides.