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HOMICIDE

  • An estimated 16,272 persons were murdered nationwide in 2008, a 3.9 percent decline from 2007.[1]
  • In 2008, for homicides in which the age of the victim was known, 11 percent of murder victims were under 18; 32 percent were between the ages of 20 and 29; 20 percent were between the ages of 30 and 39; 14 percent were between 40 and 49; 10 percent were between 50 and 64; and 4 percent were ages 65 and older.[2]
  • Teenagers (ages 13 to 19) accounted for 13 percent of murder victims in 2008.[3]
  • Fifty-one children were killed by their babysitter in 2008.[4]
  • In 2008, 78 percent of murder victims were male and 22 percent female.[5]
  • Where the age and sex of the offender was known, homicide offenders in 2008 were most often males (90 percent) and adults (84 percent).[6]
  • In 2008, 48 percent of homicide victims were white and 48 percent were black. For 4 percent of victims, race was classified as "other" or "unknown."[7]
  • In 2008, homicide was generally intraracial 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 2008, for homicides in which the type of weapon was specified, 67 percent of the offenses were committed with firearms.[9]
  • Knives were used in 13 percent of murders, and personal weapons (e.g., hands, fists, or feet) were used in approximately 6 percent of murders.[10]
  • In 2008, where the victim-offender relationship was known, 23 percent of victims were killed by family members and 22 percent were killed by strangers.[11]
  • In 2008, homicides occurred in connection with another felony (such as rape, robbery, or arson) in 15 percent of incidents.[12]
  • Seven percent of murder victims in 2008 were robbed prior to being killed. Of female murder victims, 1 percent were raped prior to being killed.[13]
  • During 2007, 1,760 children died due to child abuse or neglect. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of these children were younger than 4 years of age.[14]
  • Law enforcement cleared (by arrest or exceptional means) 64 percent of the murders that occurred nationwide.[15]
  • In 2008, 41 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty; 37 were male and 4 were female.[16]
  • Of the 41 officers feloniously killed, 9 of the slain officers were involved in arrest situations; 8 were performing traffic stops; 7 were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances; 7 were involved in tactical situations (e.g., high-risk entry); 6 were ambushed; 2 were performing investigative duties; 1 was handling, transporting, or maintaining custody of a prisoner; and 1 was answering a disturbance call.[17]


[1] Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the United States, 2008: Murder," (Washington, DC: GPO, 2009), http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/violent_crime/murder_homicide.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[2] Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the United States, 2008: Expanded Homicide Data" (Washington, DC: GPO, 2009), calculated from Table 2, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_02.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid., Table 12, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_12.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[5] Ibid., Table 2, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_02.html (accessed November 2, 2009).

[6] Ibid., calculated from Table 3, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_03.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[7] Ibid., calculated from Table 1.

[8] Ibid., Table 6, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_06.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[9] Ibid., Table 7, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_07.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid., calculated from Table 10, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_10.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[12]  Ibid., Table 13.

[13]  Ibid.

[14] Children's Bureau, "Child Maltreatment, 2007," (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009), 55, 56, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm07/cm07.pdf (accessed September 15, 2009).

[15] Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the United States, 2008: Table 25," (Washington, DC: GPO, 2009), http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_25.html (accessed September 15, 2009).

[16] Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted: 2008, Tables 1 and 11" (Washington, DC; GPO, 2009), http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2008/feloniouslykilled.html (accessed November 30, 2009).

[17] Ibid., Tables 19-24.

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