Homicide or murder is defined as the "willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another" (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2000). Although the homicide rate in the United States has steadily declined since 1990, almost 15,000 persons were murdered in the United states in 2010. The United States has the highest homicide rate of any affluent democracy, nearly four times that of France and the United Kingdom, and six times that of Germany.
Each homicide costs individuals, families, communities, and society millions of dollars. In addition to the loss of life, the costs include the direct costs—the damaged property and lost careers, prison upkeep, and lawyer fees—and the indirect costs, such as more frequent police patrols, more complicated alarm systems, and increased life insurance costs. The impact on the families and friends of homicide victims is impossible to quantify.
Recent Statistics on Homicide:
- An estimated 14,748 persons were murdered nationwide in 2010, a 4.23
percent decline from 2009.1
- In 2010, for homicides in which the age of the victim was known,
9.94 percent of murder victims were under 18; 32.86 percent were between
the ages of 20 and 29; 20.35 percent were between the ages of 30 and 39;
13.39 percent were between 40 and 49; 11.55 percent were between 50 and
64; and 4.55 percent were ages 65 and older.2
- For homicides in which the age of the victim was known, teenagers
(ages 13 to 19) accounted for 12.41 percent of murder victims in 2010.3
- In 2010, 77.4 percent of murder victims were male and 22.5 percent
female.4
- The sex of the offender was known in 73.19 percent of homicide cases
in 2010. Among those cases, 90.27 percent of offenders were male and
9.73 percent were female.5
- In the majority of homicide cases in 2010 in which the age of the
offender was known, most offenders (92 percent) were 18 or older.6
- In 2010, 46.5 percent of homicide victims were white and 49.8
percent were black. For 3.7 percent of victims, race was classified as
:other" or "unknown."7
- In 2010, homicide was generally intra-racial where the race of the
victim and offender were known: white offenders murdered 83 percent of
white victims, and black offenders murdered 90 percent of black
victims.8
- In 2010, for homicides in which the type of weapon was specified, 68
percent of the offenses were committed with firearms.9
- Knives or cutting instruments were used in 13 percent of murders,
and personal weapons (e.g., hands, fists, feet, etc.) were used in
approximately 6 percent of murders.10
- In 2010, where the victim-offender relationship was known, 37.44
percent of homicide victims were killed by an acquaintance, 22.21
percent were killed by a stranger, 18.37 percent were killed by an
intimate partner (husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend), 14.98
percent were killed by a family member, and 5.45 percent were killed by
a friend.11
- In 2010, homicides occurred in connection with another felony (such
as rape, robbery, or arson) in at least 14.8 percent of incidents.12
- At least 6 percent of murder victims in 2010 were robbed in
conjunction with being killed.13
- During 2008, 1,740 children died due to child abuse or neglect. More
than three-quarters (80 percent) of these children were younger than 4
years of age.14
- Law enforcement cleared (by arrest or exceptional means) 64.8
percent of the murders that occurred nationwide in 2010.15
- In 2009, 48 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the
line of duty; 47 were male and 1 was female.16
- Of the 48 officers feloniously killed in 2009, 15 of the slain
officers were ambushed; 8 were involved in arrest situations; 8 were
performing traffic stops; 6 were answering disturbance calls; 5 were
involved in tactical situations (e.g., high-risk entry); 4 were
investigating suspicious persons/circumstances; and 2 were handling,
transporting, or maintaining custody of prisoners.17