Expanded Homicide Data

(From the Supplementary Homicide Report)

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About these data

The UCR Program's Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) provides information regarding the age, sex, and race of the murder victim and the offender; the type of weapon used in the murder; the relationship of the victim to the offender; and the circumstance surrounding the incident. Data gleaned from these supplemental reports are provided in this section.

Data Collection

Justifiable homicide - Certain willful killings must be reported as justifiable, or excusable. In the UCR Program, justifiable homicide is defined as and limited to:

• The killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty.
• TThe killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen.

Because these killing are determined through law enforcement investigation to be justifiable, they are tabulated separately from murder and nonnegligent manslaughter. Justifiable homicide information, which is collected by the FBI via the UCR Program's SHRs, are included in this section and in Expanded Homicide Data Table 13, "Justifiable Homicide, by Weapon, Law Enforcement, 2001-2005" and Expanded Homicide Data Table 14, "Justifiable Homicide, by Weapon, Private Citizen, 2001-2005".

Overview

• In 2005, 78.7 percent of known murder victims were male. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 1.)
• Concerning murder victims for whom race was known, 48.7 percent were white, 48.6 percent were black, and the remaining victims were from other or unknown races. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 1.)
• In single victim/single offender incidents where the age of the offender was known, 94.2 percent of the victims were slain by adults (individuals 18 years of age or older). (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 4.)
• Data from single victim/single offender incidents showed that 92.6 percent of black victims were murdered by black offenders, and 84.8 percent of white victims were murdered by white offenders. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 5.)
• Concerning known murder offenders, 89.9 percent were males; 52.6 percent were black. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 3.)
• Of the homicides for which the type of weapon was specified, firearms were used in 72.6 percent of the offenses. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 7.) Of the identified firearms used, handguns comprised 87.3 percent.
• Concerning the relationships (if known) of murder victims and offenders, 22.4 percent of victims were slain by family members; 25.4 percent were murdered by strangers. (Based on Expanded Homicide Data Table 9.)
• Concerning the circumstances surrounding murders, arguments (including romantic triangles) comprised 27.1 percent of reported murder circumstances. Circumstances were unknown for 37.8 percent of reported homicides.
• Law enforcement reported 533 justifiable homicides. Of those, law enforcement officers justifiably killed 341 individuals, and private citizens justifiably killed 192 individuals.

• Expanded Homicide Data Table 1
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 2
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 3
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 4
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 5
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 6
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 7
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 8
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 9
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 10
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 11
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 12
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 13
• Expanded Homicide Data Table 14

Release Date: September 2006