A new report on homicide in Black America based on FBI statistics found that nearly one third of African American murder victims were killed by someone they knew.
The just-released annual report from the Violence Policy Center said that there were 6,217 black homicide victims in 2013, and of them police were able to establish a “victim/offender” relationship in 2,766 cases.
Said the report, “72 percent of victims (2,002 out of 2,766) were killed by someone they knew. Seven hundred sixty-four victims were killed by strangers.”
Most of the victims were men. “Of the 6,217 black homicide victims, 5,381 were male and 836 were female. The homicide victimization rate for black male victims was 30.59 per 100,000,” said the report.
The report, Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2013 Homicide Data, was based on unpublished data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The group said that the data shows a huge gap in the murder rate between blacks and whites, and that most of the murderers used a gun.
“In America, black men and women face a disproportionate risk of being murdered, a fact both alarming and unacceptable,” said VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann. “Moreover, our study found that the vast majority of these homicides are committed with guns, usually a handgun. We hope our research will not only help educate the public and policymakers, but aid those national, state, and community leaders who are already working to end this grave injustice.”
The reports highlights for the U.S. in 2013:
— There were 6,217 black homicide victims in the United States that year. Blacks represent 13 percent of the U.S. population yet account for 50 percent of all homicide victims.
— The black homicide victimization rate in the United States was 16.91 per 100,000. In comparison, the overall national homicide victimization rate was 4.27 per 100,000. For whites, the national homicide victimization rate was 2.54 per 100,000.
— Of the 6,217 black homicide victims, 5,381 were male and 836 were female. The homicide victimization rate for black male victims was 30.59 per 100,000. The homicide victimization rate for female black victims was 4.36 per 100,000.
— For homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 84 percent of black victims (4,960 out of 5,891) were shot and killed with guns. Of these, 73 percent (3,609 victims) were killed with handguns.
— For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 72 percent of black victims (2,002 out of 2,766) were killed by someone they knew. The number of victims killed by strangers was 764.
— For homicides in which the circumstances could be identified, 68 percent (2,534 out of 3,754) were not related to the commission of any other felony. Of these, 51 percent (1,284 homicides) involved arguments between the victim and the offender.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
