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Contents of Homicide
trends in the U.S.
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Homicide
trends in the U.S.
Weapons
used
Homicides are most often committed with guns,
especially handguns
Like the homicide rate generally, gun-involved incidents increased
sharply in the late 1980's before falling through the 1990's. The number
of gun-involved homicides has increased some recently.
During this same time period, homicides involving weapons other than firearms have
declined slowly.
To view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
Gun homicides by teens and young adults rose sharply
beginning with the mid-1980's and fell in the early 1990's
- The trend in nongun homicides shows little change, declining or fluctuating
slightly for all age groups.
- Gun homicides by adults 25 and older reflect a general downward trend,
although they increased slightly in recent years.
- The sharp increase in homicides in the late 1980's and much of the
subsequent decline is attributable to gun violence by juveniles and
young adults.
To view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
Homicides of teens and young adults are much more likely to be committed
with a gun than homicides of persons of other ages
The percentage of homicide victims killed with a gun increases with age
up to age 17 and declines thereafter.
To view data, click on the chart.
 [D]
Source: FBI, Supplementary Homicide Reports, 1976-2002.
See also Additional information about the data.
Note: The victims of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks are not included in this analysis.
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