Tuesday, December 5, 2023
| Characteristic | Male** | Female** | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | |
| Age group, yrs | ||||||
| 10–14 | 325 (1.1) | 3.7 | 165 (2.1) | 1.9 | 490 (1.3) | 2.8 |
| 15–19 | 1,434 (4.7) | 15.9 | 433 (5.5) | 5.0 | 1,867 (4.8) | 10.6 |
| 20–24 | 2,684 (8.7) | 28.9 | 587 (7.5) | 6.6 | 3,272 (8.5) | 18.0 |
| 25–29 | 2,894 (9.4) | 28.9 | 665 (8.5) | 6.9 | 3,559 (9.2) | 18.1 |
| 30–34 | 2,945 (9.6) | 30.3 | 652 (8.3) | 6.9 | 3,597 (9.3) | 18.7 |
| 35–44 | 4,847 (15.8) | 27.5 | 1,324 (16.9) | 7.5 | 6,171 (16.0) | 17.5 |
| 45–54 | 4,700 (15.3) | 28.1 | 1,459 (18.7) | 8.5 | 6,160 (16.0) | 18.2 |
| 55–64 | 4,642 (15.1) | 26.8 | 1,326 (17.0) | 7.2 | 5,968 (15.5) | 16.6 |
| 65–74 | 3,078 (10.0) | 24.1 | 798 (10.2) | 5.5 | 3,876 (10.1) | 14.2 |
| 75–84 | 2,142 (7.0) | 36.0 | 309 (4.0) | 4.0 | 2,451 (6.4) | 18.0 |
| ≥85 | 1,013 (3.3) | 51.3 | 99 (1.3) | 2.8 | 1,112 (2.9) | 20.1 |
| Unknown | 3 (<1.0) | —†† | 1 (<1.0) | — | 6 (<1.0) | — |
| Race and ethnicity§§ | ||||||
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 524 (1.7) | 48.9 | 165 (2.1) | 14.6 | 689 (1.8) | 31.2 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 856 (2.8) | 12.2 | 359 (4.6) | 4.6 | 1,215 (3.2) | 8.2 |
| Black or African American | 2,432 (7.9) | 15.9 | 573 (7.3) | 3.4 | 3,005 (7.8) | 9.3 |
| White | 24,141 (78.6) | 31.2 | 6,080 (77.8) | 7.6 | 30,223 (78.4) | 19.2 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,617 (8.5) | 14.2 | 609 (7.8) | 3.4 | 3,226 (8.4) | 8.8 |
| Other | 86 (<1.0) | — | 19 (<1.0) | — | 107 (<1.0) | — |
| Unknown | 51 (<1.0) | — | 13 (<1.0) | — | 64 (<1.0) | — |
| Method of injury | ||||||
| Firearm | 17,401 (56.7) | 14.6 | 2,491 (31.9) | 2.0 | 19,892 (51.6) | 8.2 |
| Hanging, strangulation, or suffocation | 8,200 (26.7) | 6.9 | 2,297 (29.4) | 1.9 | 10,497 (27.2) | 4.3 |
| Poisoning | 2,158 (7.0) | 1.8 | 2,135 (27.3) | 1.7 | 4,294 (11.1) | 1.8 |
| Fall | 749 (2.4) | 0.6 | 233 (3.0) | 0.2 | 982 (2.5) | 0.4 |
| Sharp instrument | 676 (2.2) | 0.6 | 145 (1.9) | 0.1 | 821 (2.1) | 0.3 |
| Motor vehicles (e.g., buses, motorcycles, or other transport vehicles) | 462 (1.5) | 0.4 | 144 (1.8) | 0.1 | 606 (1.6) | 0.3 |
| Drowning | 250 (<1.0) | 0.2 | 124 (1.6) | 0.1 | 374 (<1.0) | 0.2 |
| Fire or burns | 102 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 37 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 139 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Blunt instrument | 46 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 11 (<1.0) | — | 57 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Other (e.g., Taser, electrocution, nail gun, intentional neglect, or personal weapons) | 40 (<1.0) | — | 15 (<1.0) | — | 55 (<1.0) | — |
| Unknown | 623 (2.0) | — | 186 (2.4) | — | 812 (2.1) | — |
| Location of injury | ||||||
| House or apartment | 21,570 (70.2) | 18.1 | 5,961 (76.2) | 4.8 | 27,532 (71.5) | 11.3 |
| Motor vehicle | 1,561 (5.1) | 1.3 | 314 (4.0) | 0.3 | 1,875 (4.9) | 0.8 |
| Natural area | 1,421 (4.6) | 1.2 | 236 (3.0) | 0.2 | 1,658 (4.3) | 0.7 |
| Street or highway | 868 (2.8) | 0.7 | 142 (1.8) | 0.1 | 1,010 (2.6) | 0.4 |
| Hotel or motel | 627 (2.0) | 0.5 | 230 (2.9) | 0.2 | 857 (2.2) | 0.4 |
| Parking lot, public garage, or public transport | 519 (1.7) | 0.4 | 87 (1.1) | <0.1 | 606 (1.6) | 0.3 |
| Jail or prison | 550 (1.8) | 0.5 | 53 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 603 (1.6) | 0.3 |
| Park, playground, or sports or athletic area | 447 (1.5) | 0.4 | 89 (1.1) | <0.1 | 536 (1.4) | 0.2 |
| Bridge | 271 (<1.0) | 0.2 | 62 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 333 (<1.0) | 0.1 |
| Commercial or retail area | 254 (<1.0) | 0.2 | 28 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 282 (<1.0) | 0.1 |
| Railroad tracks | 197 (<1.0) | 0.2 | 57 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 254 (<1.0) | 0.1 |
| Supervised residential facility | 165 (<1.0) | 0.1 | 54 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 219 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Hospital or medical facility | 124 (<1.0) | 0.1 | 28 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 152 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Industrial or construction area | 113 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 10 (<1.0) | — | 123 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Farm | 95 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 10 (<1.0) | — | 105 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Cemetery, graveyard, or other burial ground | 82 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 19 (<1.0) | — | 101 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Other location¶¶ | 667 (2.2) | — | 85 (1.1) | — | 752 (2.0) | — |
| Unknown | 1,176 (3.8) | — | 353 (4.5) | — | 1,531 (4.0) | — |
| Total | 30,707 (100) | 25.7 | 7,818 (100) | 6.3 | 38,529 (100) | 15.8 |
Table 1: Number, percentage,* and rate† of suicide among persons aged ≥10 years,§ by selected demographic characteristics of decedent, method of injury used, and location in which injury occurred — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Percentages might not total 100% because of rounding.
†Per 100,000 population.
§Suicide is not reported for decedents aged <10 years per standard in the suicide prevention literature. Denominators for suicide rates represent the total population aged ≥10 years.
¶Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant). Denominators for the rates for California and Texas represent only the populations of the counties from which the data were collected.
**Sex was unknown for four decedents.
††Dashes indicate cell data are suppressed because number of decedents is <20 or when characteristic response is "Other" or "Unknown."
§§Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but were categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups were non-Hispanic.
¶¶Other location includes (in descending order): preschool/school/college/school bus, office building, abandoned house/building/warehouse, synagogue/church/temple, bar/nightclub, or other unspecified location.
| Toxicology | Tested No. (%) |
Positive No. (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Blood alcohol concentration¶ | 18,245 (47.4) | 7,480 (41.0) |
| Alcohol <0.08 g/dL | N/A | 2,046 (27.4) |
| Alcohol ≥0.08 g/dL | N/A | 4,937 (66.0) |
| Alcohol positive — level unknown | N/A | 497 (6.6) |
| Amphetamines | 14,635 (38.0) | 2,554 (17.5) |
| Anticonvulsants | 7,479 (19.4) | 1,339 (17.9) |
| Antidepressants | 9,390 (24.4) | 3,394 (36.1) |
| Antipsychotics | 7,089 (18.4) | 914 (12.9) |
| Barbiturates | 12,064 (31.3) | 250 (2.1) |
| Benzodiazepines | 14,248 (37.0) | 3,116 (21.9) |
| Cannabis | 13,378 (34.7) | 3,789 (28.3) |
| Carbon monoxide | 1,540 (4.0) | 544 (35.3) |
| Cocaine | 14,235 (36.9) | 867 (6.1) |
| Muscle relaxant | 7,632 (19.8) | 426 (5.6) |
| Opioids | 15,271 (39.6) | 3,370 (22.1) |
| Other drugs or substances** | 2,385 (6.2) | 2,250 (94.3) |
Table 2: Number* and percentage of suicide decedents tested for alcohol and drugs and whose results were positive,† by toxicology — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states§ and the District of Columbia, 2020
Abbreviation: N/A = not applicable.
*N = 38,529.
†Percentage is of decedents tested for toxicology. Denominator for the percentage positive is the percentage tested.
§Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
¶Blood alcohol concentration of ≥0.08 g/dL is over the legal limit in all states and is used as the standard for intoxication.
**Other drugs or substances indicated if any results were positive; levels for these drugs or substances were not measured.
| Precipitating circumstance | Male No. (%) |
Female No. (%) |
Total No. (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health and substance use | |||
| Current diagnosed mental health problem** | 11,207 (43.8) | 4,225 (63.0) | 15,433 (47.8) |
| Depression or dysthymia | 8,037 (71.7) | 3,242 (76.7) | 11,279 (73.1) |
| Anxiety disorder | 2,291 (20.4) | 1,181 (28.0) | 3,473 (22.5) |
| Bipolar disorder | 1,503 (13.4) | 826 (19.6) | 2,330 (15.1) |
| Schizophrenia | 878 (7.8) | 222 (5.3) | 1,100 (7.1) |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder | 739 (6.6) | 195 (4.6) | 934 (6.1) |
| Attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | 407 (3.6) | 86 (2.0) | 493 (3.2) |
| Dementia | 220 (2.0) | 39 (<1.0) | 259 (1.7) |
| Autism spectrum | 111 (<1.0) | 10 (<1.0) | 121 (<1.0) |
| Obsessive compulsive disorder | 82 (<1.0) | 24 (<1.0) | 106 (<1.0) |
| Eating disorder | 6 (<1.0) | 28 (<1.0) | 34 (<1.0) |
| Fetal alcohol syndrome | 4 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (<1.0) |
| Down syndrome | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Other | 504 (4.5) | 181 (4.3) | 685 (4.4) |
| Unknown | 855 (7.6) | 281 (6.7) | 1,136 (7.4) |
| History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem | 7,280 (28.4) | 3,059 (45.6) | 10,339 (32.0) |
| Current depressed mood | 8,145 (31.8) | 2,166 (32.3) | 10,311 (31.9) |
| Current mental health or substance use treatment | 5,339 (20.9) | 2,435 (36.3) | 7,774 (24.1) |
| Alcohol problem | 4,893 (19.1) | 1,049 (15.6) | 5,943 (18.4) |
| Other substance use problem (excludes alcohol) | 4,472 (17.5) | 1,240 (18.5) | 5,712 (17.7) |
| Other addiction (e.g., gambling, or sexual) | 224 (<1.0) | 51 (<1.0) | 275 (<1.0) |
| Interpersonal | |||
| Intimate partner problem | 6,934 (27.1) | 1,661 (24.8) | 8,596 (26.6) |
| Family relationship problem | 1,915 (7.5) | 659 (9.8) | 2,574 (8.0) |
| Other death of family member or friend | 1,454 (5.7) | 448 (6.7) | 1,902 (5.9) |
| Other relationship problem (nonintimate) | 593 (2.3) | 151 (2.3) | 744 (2.3) |
| Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month | 680 (2.7) | 57 (<1.0) | 737 (2.3) |
| Suicide of family member or friend | 542 (2.1) | 186 (2.8) | 728 (2.3) |
| Victim of interpersonal violence during past month | 64 (<1.0) | 63 (<1.0) | 127 (<1.0) |
| Life stressor | |||
| Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks | 7,853 (30.7) | 1,760 (26.2) | 9,613 (29.8) |
| Physical health problem | 5,184 (20.3) | 1,238 (18.5) | 6,422 (19.9) |
| Argument or conflict | 4,380 (17.1) | 1,121 (16.7) | 5,501 (17.0) |
| Job problem | 2,437 (9.5) | 452 (6.7) | 2,889 (8.9) |
| Recent criminal legal problem | 2,033 (7.9) | 168 (2.5) | 2,201 (6.8) |
| Financial problem | 1,747 (6.8) | 368 (5.5) | 2,115 (6.5) |
| Exposure to disaster | 1,203 (4.7) | 366 (5.5) | 1,569 (4.9) |
| Noncriminal legal problem | 748 (2.9) | 176 (2.6) | 925 (2.9) |
| Eviction or loss of home | 678 (2.6) | 193 (2.9) | 871 (2.7) |
| History of child abuse or neglect | 242 (<1.0) | 172 (2.6) | 414 (1.3) |
| School problem | 293 (1.1) | 106 (1.6) | 399 (1.2) |
| Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl) | 289 (1.1) | 41 (<1.0) | 330 (1.0) |
| Traumatic anniversary | 165 (<1.0) | 67 (<1.0) | 232 (<1.0) |
| Caretaker abuse or neglect led to suicide | 18 (<1.0) | 23 (<1.0) | 41 (<1.0) |
| Crime and criminal activity | |||
| Precipitated by another crime | 1,107 (4.3) | 107 (1.6) | 1,214 (3.8) |
| Crime in progress†† | 353 (31.9) | 25 (23.4) | 378 (31.1) |
| Suicide event | |||
| History of suicidal thoughts or plans | 8,798 (34.4) | 2,662 (39.7) | 11,461 (35.5) |
| Left a suicide note | 7,129 (27.9) | 2,464 (36.7) | 9,594 (29.7) |
| History of suicide attempts | 3,844 (15.0) | 2,063 (30.7) | 5,908 (18.3) |
| Suicide disclosure | |||
| Disclosed suicidal intent | 5,979 (23.4) | 1,515 (22.6) | 7,494 (23.2) |
| Disclosed intent to whom§§ | |||
| Previous or current intimate partner | 2,398 (40.1) | 514 (33.9) | 2,912 (38.9) |
| Other family member | 2,070 (34.6) | 538 (35.5) | 2,608 (34.8) |
| Friend or colleague | 820 (13.7) | 252 (16.6) | 1,072 (14.3) |
| Health care worker | 291 (4.9) | 98 (6.5) | 389 (5.2) |
| Through social media or other electronic means | 271 (4.5) | 78 (5.1) | 349 (4.7) |
| Neighbor | 96 (1.6) | 32 (2.1) | 128 (1.7) |
| Other | 508 (8.5) | 110 (7.3) | 618 (8.2) |
| Unknown | 431 (7.2) | 129 (8.5) | 560 (7.5) |
| Total¶¶ | 25,597 (83.4) | 6,709 (85.8) | 32,307 (83.9) |
Table 3: Number* and percentage† of suicides among persons aged ≥10 years,§ by decedent sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Includes suicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. More than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
†Denominator includes those suicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. The sums of percentages in columns exceed 100% because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
§Suicide is not reported for decedents aged <10 years as per standard in the suicide prevention literature.
¶Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
**Includes decedents with one or more diagnosed current mental health problems; therefore, sums of percentages for the diagnosed conditions exceed 100%. Denominator includes the number of decedents with ≥1 current diagnosed mental health problems.
††Denominator includes those decedents involved in an incident that was precipitated by another crime.
§§Denominator includes decedents who disclosed intent. The sum of percentages exceeds 100% because more than one response could have been present per decedent.
¶¶Circumstances were unknown for 6,222 decedents (5,110 males, 1,109 females, and four unknown); total number of suicide decedents = 38,529 (30,707 males, 7,818 females, and four unknown).
| Characteristic | Male | Female | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | |
| Age group, yrs | ||||||
| <1 | 136 (<1.0) | 8.5 | 81 (2.1) | 5.3 | 217 (1.0) | 6.9 |
| 1–4 | 151 (<1.0) | 2.3 | 102 (2.6) | 1.6 | 253 (1.2) | 1.9 |
| 5–9 | 69 (<1.0) | 0.8 | 68 (1.7) | 0.8 | 137 (<1.0) | 0.8 |
| 10–14 | 164 (<1.0) | 1.9 | 61 (1.6) | 0.7 | 225 (1.1) | 1.3 |
| 15–19 | 1,876 (11.2) | 20.9 | 273 (7.0) | 3.2 | 2,149 (10.4) | 12.2 |
| 20–24 | 2,865 (17.1) | 30.8 | 457 (11.7) | 5.1 | 3,322 (16.1) | 18.2 |
| 25–29 | 2,806 (16.7) | 28.0 | 481 (12.3) | 5.0 | 3,287 (15.9) | 16.7 |
| 30–34 | 2,334 (13.9) | 24.0 | 413 (10.6) | 4.4 | 2,747 (13.3) | 14.3 |
| 35–44 | 3,035 (18.1) | 17.2 | 682 (17.5) | 3.9 | 3,717 (18.0) | 10.5 |
| 45–54 | 1,634 (9.7) | 9.8 | 492 (12.6) | 2.9 | 2,126 (10.3) | 6.3 |
| 55–64 | 1,092 (6.5) | 6.3 | 379 (9.7) | 2.0 | 1,471 (7.1) | 4.1 |
| 65–74 | 417 (2.5) | 3.3 | 216 (5.5) | 1.5 | 633 (3.1) | 2.3 |
| 75–84 | 146 (<1.0) | 2.5 | 128 (3.3) | 1.7 | 274 (1.3) | 2.0 |
| ≥85 | 51 (<1.0) | 2.6 | 62 (1.6) | 1.7 | 113 (<1.0) | 2.0 |
| Unknown | 8 (<1.0) | —** | 2 (<1.0) | — | 10 (<1.0) | — |
| Race and ethnicity†† | ||||||
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 275 (1.6) | 21.9 | 84 (2.2) | 6.4 | 359 (1.7) | 14.0 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 189 (1.1) | 2.3 | 79 (2.0) | 0.9 | 268 (1.3) | 1.6 |
| Black or African American | 10,377 (61.8) | 57.6 | 1,618 (41.5) | 8.2 | 11,995 (58.0) | 31.8 |
| White | 3,385 (20.2) | 3.9 | 1,619 (41.5) | 1.8 | 5,004 (24.2) | 2.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,492 (14.8) | 11.2 | 475 (12.2) | 2.2 | 2,967 (14.3) | 6.7 |
| Other | 39 (<1.0) | — | 13 (<1.0) | — | 52 (<1.0) | — |
| Unknown | 27 (<1.0) | — | 9 (<1.0) | — | 36 (<1.0) | — |
| Method of injury | ||||||
| Firearm | 13,440 (80.1) | 9.9 | 2,413 (61.9) | 1.7 | 15,853 (76.7) | 5.7 |
| Sharp instrument | 1,371 (8.2) | 1.0 | 508 (13.0) | 0.4 | 1,879 (9.1) | 0.7 |
| Blunt instrument | 465 (2.8) | 0.3 | 215 (5.5) | 0.2 | 680 (3.3) | 0.3 |
| Personal weapons (e.g., hands, feet, or fists) | 360 (2.1) | 0.3 | 153 (3.9) | 0.1 | 513 (2.5) | 0.2 |
| Hanging, strangulation, or suffocation | 142 (<1.0) | 0.1 | 177 (4.5) | 0.1 | 319 (1.5) | 0.1 |
| Motor vehicles (e.g., buses, motorcycles, or other transport vehicles) | 111 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 61 (1.6) | <0.1 | 172 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Poisoning | 50 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 39 (1.0) | <0.1 | 89 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Fire or burns | 53 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 36 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 89 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Intentional neglect | 32 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 33 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 65 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Fall | 26 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 19 (<1.0) | — | 45 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Shaking (e.g., shaken baby syndrome) | 17 (<1.0) | — | 9 (<1.0) | — | 26 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Drowning | 13 (<1.0) | — | 8 (<1.0) | — | 21 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Other (e.g., Taser, electrocution, or nail gun) | 25 (<1.0) | — | 12 (<1.0) | — | 37 (<1.0) | — |
| Unknown | 679 (4.0) | — | 214 (5.5) | — | 893 (4.3) | — |
| Location of injury | ||||||
| House or apartment | 6,146 (36.6) | 4.5 | 2,334 (59.9) | 1.7 | 8,480 (41.0) | 3.1 |
| Street or highway | 4,203 (25.0) | 3.1 | 406 (10.4) | 0.3 | 4,609 (22.3) | 1.7 |
| Motor vehicle | 1,785 (10.6) | 1.3 | 351 (9.0) | 0.3 | 2,136 (10.3) | 0.8 |
| Parking lot, public garage, or public transport | 855 (5.1) | 0.6 | 80 (2.1) | <0.1 | 935 (4.5) | 0.3 |
| Commercial or retail area | 709 (4.2) | 0.5 | 68 (1.7) | <0.1 | 777 (3.8) | 0.3 |
| Hotel or motel | 229 (1.4) | 0.2 | 72 (1.8) | <0.1 | 301 (1.5) | 0.1 |
| Natural area | 232 (1.4) | 0.2 | 66 (1.7) | <0.1 | 298 (1.4) | 0.1 |
| Park, playground, or sports or athletic area | 193 (1.1) | 0.1 | 23 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 216 (1.0) | <0.1 |
| Bar or nightclub | 178 (1.1) | 0.1 | 20 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 198 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Jail or prison | 123 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 0 (0.0) | — | 123 (<1.0) | <0.1 |
| Other location§§ | 590 (3.5) | — | 127 (3.3) | — | 717 (3.5) | — |
| Unknown | 1,541 (9.2) | — | 350 (9.0) | — | 1,891 (9.1) | — |
| Relationship of victim to suspect¶¶ | ||||||
| Acquaintance or friend | 1,475 (30.9) | 1.1 | 186 (9.2) | 0.1 | 1,661 (24.5) | 0.6 |
| Spouse or intimate partner (current or former) | 375 (7.9) | 0.3 | 1,006 (50.0) | 0.7 | 1,381 (20.4) | 0.5 |
| Other person, known to victim | 1,060 (22.2) | 0.8 | 169 (8.4) | 0.1 | 1,229 (18.1) | 0.4 |
| Stranger | 863 (18.1) | 0.6 | 137 (6.8) | 0.1 | 1,000 (14.7) | 0.4 |
| Other relative | 354 (7.4) | 0.3 | 136 (6.8) | 0.1 | 490 (7.2) | 0.2 |
| Child*** | 262 (5.5) | 0.2 | 169 (8.4) | 0.1 | 431 (6.4) | 0.2 |
| Parent*** | 187 (3.9) | 0.1 | 167 (8.3) | 0.1 | 354 (5.2) | 0.1 |
| Rival gang member | 83 (1.7) | <0.1 | 6 (<1.0) | — | 89 (1.3) | <0.1 |
| Child of suspect's boyfriend or girlfriend (e.g., child killed by mom's boyfriend) | 46 (<1.0) | <0.1 | 29 (1.4) | <0.1 | 75 (1.1) | <0.1 |
| Other relationship††† | 67 (1.4) | — | 6 (<1.0) | — | 73 (1.1) | — |
| Total | 16,784 (100) | 12.3 | 3,897 (100) | 2.8 | 20,681 (100) | 7.5 |
Table 4: Number, percentage,* and rate† of homicides, by selected demographic characteristics of decedent, method of injury used, location in which injury occurred, and victim-to-suspect relationship§ — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Percentages might not total 100% because of rounding.
†Per 100,000 population.
§The following sentence can be used as a guide for interpreting victim-suspect relationship: "The victim is the [relationship] of the suspect." For example, when a parent kills a child, the relationship is "Child" not "Parent" ("The victim is the child of the suspect"). Please note that this sentence is intended to be a general guide. However, some relationships might not be captured by this sentence (e.g., other person known to victim or victim was law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty).
¶Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant). Denominators for the rates for California and Texas represent only the populations of the counties from which the data were collected.
**Cell data suppressed because number of decedents <20 or characteristic response is "Other" or "Unknown."
††Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but were categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups were non-Hispanic.
§§Other location includes (in descending order): abandoned house/building/warehouse, supervised residential facility, industrial or construction area, hospital or medical facility, office building, synagogue/church/temple, preschool/school/college/school bus, farm, cemetery/graveyard/other burial ground, railroad tracks, bridge, and other unspecified location.
¶¶Percentage is based on the number of homicide decedents with a known victim-to-suspect relationship (n = 6,783 [32.8%]; 4,772 [28.4%] males and 2,011 [51.6%] females); victim-to-suspect relationship was unknown for 13,898 decedents.
***Includes adoptive family members (e.g., adopted child), stepfamily members (e.g., stepparent), and foster family members (e.g., foster child).
†††Other relationship includes (in descending order): an intimate partner of suspect's parent (e.g., teenager kills his mother's boyfriend), victim was law enforcement officer injured in line of duty, and victim injured by a law enforcement officer.
| Precipitating circumstance | Male No. (%) |
Female No. (%) |
Total No. (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health and substance use | |||
| Other substance use problem (excludes alcohol) | 1,499 (13.1) | 300 (10.4) | 1,799 (12.6) |
| Current diagnosed mental health problem | 514 (4.5) | 193 (6.7) | 707 (4.9) |
| Alcohol problem | 489 (4.3) | 106 (3.7) | 595 (4.2) |
| History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem | 272 (2.4) | 102 (3.5) | 374 (2.6) |
| Current mental health or substance use treatment | 142 (1.2) | 70 (2.4) | 212 (1.5) |
| Other addiction (e.g., gambling or sexual) | 72 (<1.0) | 11 (<1.0) | 83 (<1.0) |
| Current depressed mood | 33 (<1.0) | 18 (<1.0) | 51 (<1.0) |
| Interpersonal | |||
| Intimate partner violence related | 898 (7.9) | 1,190 (41.3) | 2,088 (14.6) |
| Other relationship problem (nonintimate) | 910 (8.0) | 147 (5.1) | 1,057 (7.4) |
| Family relationship problem | 505 (4.4) | 254 (8.8) | 759 (5.3) |
| Jealousy (lovers' triangle) | 241 (2.1) | 87 (3.0) | 328 (2.3) |
| Victim of interpersonal violence during past month | 125 (1.1) | 156 (5.4) | 281 (2.0) |
| Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month | 201 (1.8) | 14 (<1.0) | 215 (1.5) |
| Life stressor | |||
| Argument or conflict | 3,961 (34.7) | 876 (30.4) | 4,837 (33.9) |
| Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl) | 1,702 (14.9) | 257 (8.9) | 1,959 (13.7) |
| Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks | 523 (4.6) | 220 (7.6) | 743 (5.2) |
| History of child abuse or neglect | 79 (<1.0) | 49 (1.7) | 128 (<1.0) |
| Crime and criminal activity | |||
| Precipitated by another crime | 2,722 (23.9) | 542 (18.8) | 3,264 (22.9) |
| Crime in progress¶ | 1,822 (66.9) | 333 (61.4) | 2,155 (66.0) |
| Drug involvement | 1,301 (11.4) | 173 (6.0) | 1,474 (10.3) |
| Gang related | 1,004 (8.8) | 96 (3.3) | 1,100 (7.7) |
| Homicide event | |||
| Drive-by shooting | 1,605 (14.1) | 208 (7.2) | 1,813 (12.7) |
| Walk-by assault | 955 (8.4) | 108 (3.8) | 1,063 (7.4) |
| Victim used a weapon | 963 (8.4) | 39 (1.4) | 1,002 (7.0) |
| Random violence | 498 (4.4) | 114 (4.0) | 612 (4.3) |
| Caretaker abuse or neglect led to death | 308 (2.7) | 258 (9.0) | 566 (4.0) |
| Justifiable self-defense | 442 (3.9) | 11 (<1.0) | 453 (3.2) |
| Mentally ill suspect | 192 (1.7) | 181 (6.3) | 373 (2.6) |
| Victim was a bystander | 216 (1.9) | 126 (4.4) | 342 (2.4) |
| Brawl | 272 (2.4) | 12 (<1.0) | 284 (2.0) |
| Victim was an intervener assisting a crime victim | 147 (1.3) | 23 (<1.0) | 170 (1.2) |
| Stalking | 22 (<1.0) | 39 (1.4) | 61 (<1.0) |
| Prostitution | 25 (<1.0) | 23 (<1.0) | 48 (<1.0) |
| Victim was a police officer on duty | 29 (<1.0) | 3 (<1.0) | 32 (<1.0) |
| Hate crime | 14 (<1.0) | 1 (<1.0) | 15 (<1.0) |
| Mercy killing | 1 (<1.0) | 10 (<1.0) | 11 (<1.0) |
| Total** | 11,405 (68.0) | 2,879 (73.9) | 14,284 (69.1) |
Table 5: Number* and percentage† of homicides, by decedent sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states§ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Includes homicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. Total numbers do not equal the sums of the columns because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
†Denominator includes those homicides with one or more precipitating circumstances. The sums of percentages in columns exceed 100% because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
§Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
¶Denominator includes those decedents involved in an incident that was precipitated by another crime.
**Circumstances were unknown for 6,397 decedents (5,379 males and 1,018 females); total number of homicide decedents = 20,681 (16,784 males and 3,897 females).
| Characteristic | Male | Female | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | No. (%) | Rate | |
| Age group, yrs | ||||||
| <10 | 0 (0.0) | —** | 0 (0.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — |
| 10–14 | 1 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 1 (<1.0) | — |
| 15–19 | 40 (4.8) | 0.4 | 3 (9.1) | — | 43 (4.9) | 0.2 |
| 20–24 | 78 (9.3) | 0.8 | 2 (6.1) | — | 80 (9.2) | 0.4 |
| 25–29 | 136 (16.2) | 1.4 | 6 (18.2) | — | 142 (16.2) | 0.7 |
| 30–34 | 144 (17.1) | 1.5 | 7 (21.2) | — | 151 (17.3) | 0.8 |
| 35–44 | 215 (25.6) | 1.2 | 9 (27.3) | — | 224 (25.6) | 0.6 |
| 45–54 | 132 (15.7) | 0.8 | 2 (6.1) | — | 134 (15.3) | 0.4 |
| 55–64 | 71 (8.4) | 0.4 | 3 (9.1) | — | 74 (8.5) | 0.2 |
| 65–74 | 18 (2.1) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 19 (2.2) | — |
| 75–84 | 6 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 6 (<1.0) | — |
| ≥85 | 0 (0.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Race and ethnicity†† | ||||||
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 39 (4.6) | 3.1 | 1 (3.0) | — | 40 (4.6) | 1.6 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 11 (1.3) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 12 (1.4) | — |
| Black or African American | 219 (26.0) | 1.2 | 2 (6.1) | — | 221 (25.3) | 0.6 |
| White | 413 (49.1) | 0.5 | 21 (63.6) | <0.1 | 434 (49.7) | 0.3 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 156 (18.5) | 0.7 | 8 (24.2) | — | 164 (18.8) | 0.4 |
| Other | 1 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 1 (<1.0) | — |
| Unknown | 2 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 2 (<1.0) | — |
| Method of injury | ||||||
| Firearm | 724 (86.1) | 0.5 | 21 (63.6) | <0.1 | 745 (85.2) | 0.3 |
| Motor vehicles (e.g., buses, motorcycles, or other transport vehicles) | 41 (4.9) | <0.1 | 3 (9.1) | — | 44 (5.0) | <0.1 |
| Blunt instrument | 11 (1.3) | — | 4 (12.1) | — | 15 (1.7) | — |
| Personal weapons (e.g., hands, feet, or fists) | 7 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 7 (<1.0) | — |
| Poisoning | 4 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 4 (<1.0) | — |
| Hanging, strangulation, or suffocation | 4 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 4 (<1.0) | — |
| Fall | 3 (<1.0) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 4 (<1.0) | — |
| Drowning | 4 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 4 (<1.0) | — |
| Fire or burns | 1 (<1.0) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 2 (<1.0) | — |
| Sharp instrument | 1 (<1.0) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 1 (<1.0) | — |
| Other (e.g., Taser, electrocution, or nail gun) | 10 (1.2) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 10 (1.1) | — |
| Unknown | 31 (3.7) | — | 3 (9.1) | — | 34 (3.9) | — |
| Location of injury | ||||||
| House or apartment | 299 (35.6) | 0.2 | 11 (33.3) | — | 310 (35.5) | 0.1 |
| Street or highway | 221 (26.3) | 0.2 | 4 (12.1) | — | 225 (25.7) | <0.1 |
| Motor vehicle | 76 (9.0) | <0.1 | 8 (24.2) | — | 84 (9.6) | <0.1 |
| Parking lot, public garage, or public transport | 51 (6.1) | <0.1 | 1 (3.0) | — | 52 (5.9) | <0.1 |
| Commercial or retail area | 33 (3.9) | <0.1 | 0 (0.0) | — | 33 (3.8) | <0.1 |
| Natural area | 27 (3.2) | <0.1 | 0 (0.0) | — | 27 (3.1) | <0.1 |
| Hotel or motel | 8 (<1.0) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 9 (1.0) | — |
| Jail or prison | 7 (<1.0) | — | 1 (3.0) | — | 8 (<1.0) | — |
| Other location§§ | 55 (6.5) | — | 0 (0.0) | — | 55 (6.3) | — |
| Unknown | 64 (7.6) | — | 7 (21.2) | — | 71 (8.1) | — |
| Total | 841 (100) | 0.6 | 33 (100) | <0.1 | 874 (100) | 0.3 |
Table 6: Number, percentage,* and rate† of legal intervention§ deaths, by selected demographic characteristics of decedent, method of injury used, and location in which injury occurred — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Percentages might not total 100% because of rounding.
†Per 100,000 population.
§The term legal intervention does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding the death.
¶Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant). Denominators for the rates for California and Texas represent only the populations of the counties from which the data were collected.
**Dashes indicate cell data are suppressed because number of decedents is <20 or characteristic response is "Other" or "Unknown."
††Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but were categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups were non-Hispanic.
§§Other location includes (in descending order): hospital or medical facility, park/playground/sports or athletic area, railroad tracks, industrial or construction area, office building, preschool/school/college/school bus, synagogue/church/temple, supervised residential facility, bar/nightclub, abandoned house/building/warehouse, farm, bridge, cemetery/graveyard/other burial ground, and other unspecified location.
| Precipitating circumstance | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |
| Mental health and substance use | |||
| Other substance use problem (excludes alcohol) | 194 (25.3) | 10 (41.7) | 204 (25.8) |
| Current diagnosed mental health problem | 151 (19.7) | 8 (33.3) | 159 (20.1) |
| History of ever being treated for a mental health or substance use problem | 103 (13.4) | 5 (20.8) | 108 (13.7) |
| Alcohol problem | 94 (12.3) | 3 (12.5) | 97 (12.3) |
| Current mental health or substance use treatment | 60 (7.8) | 4 (16.7) | 64 (8.1) |
| Current depressed mood | 23 (3.0) | 0 (—) | 23 (2.9) |
| Other addiction (e.g., gambling or sexual) | 11 (1.4) | 0 (—) | 11 (1.4) |
| Interpersonal | |||
| Perpetrator of interpersonal violence during past month | 99 (12.9) | 1 (4.2) | 100 (12.7) |
| Intimate partner violence related | 79 (10.3) | 2 (8.3) | 81 (10.3) |
| Family relationship problem | 40 (5.2) | 4 (16.7) | 44 (5.6) |
| Other relationship problem (nonintimate) | 25 (3.3) | 1 (4.2) | 26 (3.3) |
| Victim of interpersonal violence during past month | 2 (<1.0) | 1 (4.2) | 3 (<1.0) |
| Jealousy (lovers' triangle) | 1 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (<1.0) |
| Life stressor | |||
| Argument or conflict | 119 (15.5) | 3 (12.5) | 122 (15.4) |
| Crisis during previous or upcoming 2 weeks | 58 (7.6) | 2 (8.3) | 60 (7.6) |
| Physical fight (two persons, not a brawl) | 53 (6.9) | 0 (0.0) | 53 (6.7) |
| History of child abuse or neglect | 4 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (<1.0) |
| Crime and criminal activity | |||
| Drug involvement | 34 (4.4) | 2 (8.3) | 36 (4.6) |
| Gang related | 11 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (1.4) |
| Homicide event | |||
| Victim used a weapon | 533 (69.6) | 15 (62.5) | 548 (69.4) |
| Random violence | 6 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (<1.0) |
| Brawl | 4 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (<1.0) |
| Stalking | 4 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (<1.0) |
| Walk-by assault | 3 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (<1.0) |
| Drive-by shooting | 2 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (<1.0) |
| Mentally ill suspect | 1 (<1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (<1.0) |
| Total** | 766 (91.1) | 24 (72.7) | 790 (90.4) |
Table 7: Number* and percentage† of legal intervention§ deaths, by decedent sex and precipitating circumstances — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states¶ and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Includes deaths with one or more precipitating circumstances. Total numbers do not equal the sums of the columns because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
†Denominator includes those deaths with one or more precipitating circumstances. The sums of percentages in columns exceed 100% because more than one circumstance could have been present per decedent.
§The term legal intervention does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding the death.
¶Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
**Circumstances were unknown for 84 decedents (75 males and nine females); total number of legal intervention deaths = 874 (841 males and 33 females).
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Sex | |
| Male | 434 (86.1) |
| Female | 70 (13.9) |
| Race and ethnicity§ | |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 12 (2.4) |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 6 (1.2) |
| Black or African American | 167 (33.1) |
| White | 266 (52.8) |
| Other | 2 (<1.0) |
| Hispanic or Latino | 51 (10.1) |
| Age group, yrs | |
| <1 | 0 (—) |
| 1–4 | 49 (9.7) |
| 5–9 | 26 (5.2) |
| 10–14 | 47 (9.3) |
| 15–19 | 85 (16.9) |
| 20–24 | 72 (14.3) |
| 25–29 | 40 (7.9) |
| 30–34 | 30 (6.0) |
| 35–44 | 42 (8.3) |
| 45–54 | 38 (7.5) |
| 55–64 | 32 (6.3) |
| 65–74 | 28 (5.6) |
| 75–84 | 12 (2.4) |
| ≥85 | 3 (<1.0) |
| Location of injury | |
| House or apartment | 378 (75.0) |
| Motor vehicle | 29 (5.8) |
| Natural area | 23 (4.6) |
| Street or highway | 9 (1.8) |
| Hotel or motel | 8 (1.6) |
| Commercial or retail area | 7 (1.4) |
| Other location¶ | 20 (4.0) |
| Unknown | 30 (6.0) |
| Firearm type | |
| Handgun | 302 (59.9) |
| Rifle | 44 (8.7) |
| Shotgun | 34 (6.7) |
| Other firearm type | 0 (—) |
| Unknown | 124 (24.6) |
| Total | 504 (100) |
Table 8: Number and percentage* of unintentional firearm deaths, by selected demographic characteristics of decedent, location of injury, and type of firearm — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states† and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Percentages might not total 100% because of rounding.
†Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
§Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but were categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups were non-Hispanic.
¶Other location includes (in descending order): parking lot/public garage/public transport, park/playground/sports or athletic area, farm, bar/nightclub, industrial or construction area, preschool/school/college/school bus, supervised residential facility, and other unspecified location.
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Context of injury | |
| Playing with gun | 193 (47.1) |
| Showing gun to others | 46 (11.2) |
| Cleaning gun | 30 (7.3) |
| Loading or unloading gun | 19 (4.6) |
| Hunting | 17 (4.1) |
| Target shooting | 7 (1.7) |
| Celebratory firing | 1 (<1.0) |
| Other context of injury | 100 (24.4) |
| Circumstance of injury | |
| Unintentionally pulled trigger | 114 (27.8) |
| Thought gun was unloaded | 43 (10.5) |
| Gun was mistaken for a toy | 33 (8.0) |
| Thought unloaded, magazine disengaged | 22 (5.4) |
| Gun was dropped | 19 (4.6) |
| Thought gun safety was engaged | 11 (2.7) |
| Gun fired while holstering | 10 (2.4) |
| Gun fired because of defect or malfunction | 7 (1.7) |
| Bullet ricocheted | 2 (<1.0) |
| Gun fired while handling safety lock | 2 (<1.0) |
| Other mechanism of injury | 65 (15.9) |
| Total§ | 410 (81.3) |
Table 9: Number and percentage* of unintentional firearm deaths, by context and circumstances of injury — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states† and the District of Columbia, 2020
*Percentages might exceed 100% because one or more circumstances could have been known per death. Number and percentage are reported when the number of deaths is <5 because no particular circumstance identifies a single death. Denominator includes those deaths with one or more precipitating circumstances.
†Includes all U.S. states, with exception of Florida and Hawaii. Data for California are for violent deaths that occurred in 35 counties (Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Ventura, and Yolo). Data for Texas are for violent deaths that occurred in four counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant).
§Circumstances were unknown for 94 decedents; total number of unintentional firearm decedents = 504.
| Manner of death | Death ≤1 year after injury |
Death >1 year after injury |
Death any time after injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intentional self-harm (suicide) | X60–X84 | Y87.0 | U03 (attributable to terrorism) |
| Assault (homicide) | X85–X99, Y00–Y09 | Y87.1 | U01, U02 (attributable to terrorism) |
| Event of undetermined intent | Y10–Y34 | Y87.2, Y89.9 | Not applicable |
| Unintentional exposure to inanimate mechanical forces (firearms) | W32–W34 | Y86 | Not applicable |
| Legal intervention (excluding executions, Y35.5) | Y35.0–Y35.4, Y35.6, Y35.7 | Y89.0 | Not applicable |
Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes used in the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2020
|
Box 2: Methods used to inflict injury — National Violent Death Reporting System, 2020
|
All Manners of Death
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Context of Injury
|
Box 3: Circumstances preceding fatal injury, by manner of death — National Violent Death Reporting System, 2020
Physicians - maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
ABIM Diplomates - maximum of 2.75 ABIM MOC points
Nurses - 2.75 ANCC Contact Hour(s) (2.75 contact hours are in the area of pharmacology)
Pharmacists - 2.75 Knowledge-based ACPE (0.275 CEUs)
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Problem/Condition: In 2020, approximately 71,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2020. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics.
Period Covered: 2020.
Description of System: NVDRS collects data regarding violent deaths obtained from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner records, and law enforcement reports. This report includes data collected for violent deaths that occurred in 2020. Data were collected from 48 states (all states with exception of Florida and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Forty-six states had statewide data, two additional states had data from counties representing a subset of their population (35 California counties, representing 71% of its population, and four Texas counties, representing 39% of its population), and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had jurisdiction-wide data. NVDRS collates information for each violent death and links deaths that are related (e.g., multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident.
Results: For 2020, NVDRS collected information on 64,388 fatal incidents involving 66,017 deaths that occurred in 48 states (46 states collecting statewide data, 35 California counties, and four Texas counties), and the District of Columbia. In addition, information was collected for 729 fatal incidents involving 790 deaths in Puerto Rico. Data for Puerto Rico were analyzed separately. Of the 66,017 deaths, the majority (58.4%) were suicides, followed by homicides (31.3%), deaths of undetermined intent (8.2%), legal intervention deaths (1.3%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm deaths (<1.0%). The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement.
Demographic patterns and circumstances varied by manner of death. The suicide rate was higher for males than for females. Across all age groups, the suicide rate was highest among adults aged ≥85 years. In addition, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons had the highest suicide rates among all racial and ethnic groups. Among both males and females, the most common method of injury for suicide was a firearm. Among all suicide victims, when circumstances were known, suicide was most often preceded by a mental health, intimate partner, or physical health problem or by a recent or impending crisis during the previous or upcoming 2 weeks. The homicide rate was higher for males than for females. Among all homicide victims, the homicide rate was highest among persons aged 20–24 years compared with other age groups. Non-Hispanic Black (Black) males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. Among all homicide victims, the most common method of injury was a firearm. When the relationship between a homicide victim and a suspect was known, the suspect was most frequently an acquaintance or friend for male victims and a current or former intimate partner for female victims. Homicide most often was precipitated by an argument or conflict, occurred in conjunction with another crime, or, for female victims, was related to intimate partner violence. Nearly all victims of legal intervention deaths were male, and the legal intervention death rate was highest among men aged 35–44 years. The legal intervention death rate was highest among AI/AN males, followed by Black males. A firearm was used in the majority of legal intervention deaths. When a specific type of crime was known to have precipitated a legal intervention death, the type of crime was most frequently assault or homicide. When circumstances were known, the three most frequent circumstances reported for legal intervention deaths were as follows: the victim's death was precipitated by another crime, the victim used a weapon in the incident, and the victim had a substance use problem (other than alcohol use).
Other causes of death included unintentional firearm deaths and deaths of undetermined intent. Unintentional firearm deaths were most frequently experienced by males, non-Hispanic White (White) persons, and persons aged 15–24 years. These deaths most frequently occurred while the shooter was playing with a firearm and were precipitated by a person unintentionally pulling the trigger. The rate of deaths of undetermined intent was highest among males, particularly among AI/AN and Black males, and among adults aged 30–54 years. Poisoning was the most common method of injury in deaths of undetermined intent, and opioids were detected in nearly 80% of decedents tested for those substances.
Interpretation: This report provides a detailed summary of data from NVDRS on violent deaths that occurred in 2020. The suicide rate was highest among AI/AN and White males, whereas the homicide rate was highest among Black male victims. Intimate partner violence precipitated a large proportion of homicides for females. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary circumstances for multiple types of violent death.
Public Health Action: Violence is preventable, and states and communities can use data to guide public health action. NVDRS data are used to monitor the occurrence of violence-related fatal injuries and assist public health authorities in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, policies, and practices to reduce and prevent violent deaths. For example, the Colorado Violent Death Reporting System (VDRS), Kentucky VDRS, and Oregon VDRS have used their VDRS data to guide suicide prevention efforts and generate reports highlighting where additional focus is needed. In Colorado, VDRS data were used to examine the increased risk for suicide among first and last responders in the state. Kentucky VDRS used local data to highlight how psychological and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic might increase risk for suicide, particularly among vulnerable populations. Oregon VDRS used their data to develop a publicly available data dashboard displaying firearm mortality trends and rates in support of the state's firearm safety campaign. Similarly, states participating in NVDRS have used their VDRS data to examine homicide in their state. Illinois VDRS, for example, found that state budget cuts were associated with notable increases in homicides among youths in Chicago. With an increase of participating states and jurisdictions, this report marks progress toward providing nationally representative data.
According to National Vital Statistics System mortality data obtained from CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS),* violence-related injuries led to 71,335 deaths in the United States in 2020.[1] Suicide was the 12th leading cause of death overall in the United States and disproportionately affected young and middle-aged populations. By age group, suicide was among the three leading causes of death for persons aged 10–34 years and was the fourth leading cause of death among adults aged 35–44 years. Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White (White) males had the highest rates of suicide compared with all other racial and ethnic groups and females.
In 2020, homicide was the 16th leading cause of death overall in the United States but disproportionately affected young persons and non-Hispanic Black (Black) males.[1] Homicide was among the four leading causes of death for children aged 1–14 years and was the second leading cause of death for persons aged 15–24 years and the third leading cause of death for persons aged 25–34 years. Homicide was the leading cause of death for Black males aged 15–24 years and the second leading cause of death for Black males aged 1–14 years.
Public health authorities require accurate, timely, and complete surveillance data to better understand and ultimately prevent the occurrence of violent deaths in the United States.[2,3] In 2000, in response to an Institute of Medicine† report noting the need for a national fatal intentional injury surveillance system,[4] CDC began planning to implement the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).[2] The goals of NVDRS are to
NVDRS is a state-based active surveillance system that collects data on the characteristics and circumstances associated with violence-related deaths among participating states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.[2] Deaths collected by NVDRS include suicides, homicides, legal intervention deaths (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement acting in the line of duty and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force, excluding legal executions), unintentional firearm deaths, and deaths of undetermined intent that might have been because of violence.§ The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10)[5] and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement.
Before implementation of NVDRS, single data sources (e.g., death certificates) provided only limited information and few circumstances from which to understand patterns of violent deaths. NVDRS filled this surveillance gap by providing more detailed information. NVDRS is the first system to 1) provide detailed information on circumstances precipitating violent deaths, 2) link multiple source documents so that each incident can contribute to the study of patterns of violent deaths, and 3) link multiple deaths that are related to one another (e.g., multiple homicides, suicide pacts, or homicide followed by suicide of the suspect).
NVDRS data collection began in 2003 with six participating states (Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia) and has expanded incrementally over time (Figure). Since 2018, CDC has provided NVDRS funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NVDRS data are updated annually and are available to the public through WISQARS* at https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/nvdrs.html. Case-level NVDRS data are available to interested researchers who meet eligibility requirements via the NVDRS Restricted Access Database (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs/dataaccess.html).
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EnlargeFigure: States* and jurisdictions participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System, by year of initial data collection† — United States and Puerto Rico, 2003–2020
This report summarizes NVDRS data on violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2020. Forty-six states collected statewide data (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). The two remaining states collected data from a subset of counties in their states (35 California counties¶ and four Texas counties**). Compared with the 2019 NVDRS report,[6] this 2020 report includes data for six additional states that met inclusion criteria in 2020 (Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas). Data for Florida and Hawaii were ineligible to be included in this report because the data did not meet the completeness threshold for circumstances (see Inclusion Criteria).
