Homicide

Trends

Since 1995, the rate of murder and non-negligent homicides known to 

authorities has decreased by 40%. In 2014, the murder rate was 4.4 per 

100,000 people, the lowest rate in more than two decades. In 2015, however, 

this rate increased by 11.4% to 4.9 per 100,000 people, the largest increase 

since 1995.

A

Did You Know?

In 2015, men committed 62% of 

murders and were 79% of all murder 

victims.A

Black men committed 36% of murders 

and made up 52% of all murder victims. 

White men committed 30% of murders 

and accounted for 43% of all murder 

victims.A

Homicide is largely intra-racial. Of 

crimes involving a single offender and 

victim: 81% of white victims were 

killed by a white perpetrator; 89% of 

all black victims were killed by a black 

perpetrator.A

Homicide is defined by the FBI as the willful killing of one human being by another, and encompasses both murder and 

non-negligent manslaughter. The Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR), produced annually by the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting Program, highlights statistical trends and patterns associated with homicides known to law enforcement in 

the United States. While the SHR has proven to be a reliable resource for researchers and policy-makers, law enforcement agencies report this information voluntarily, which can mean the data are not always consistent or nationally representative. Mass shootings, which make up a small subset of homicide, have garnered a great deal of media attention 

in recent years; for more information, see the Mass Casualty fact sheet in this series.

While concerning, this increase in homicide does not necessarily indicate an emerging national trend: evaluating homicide 

rates at the city level helps identify what may be driving the recent increase. For example, the rate of homicide in Detroit, 

Michigan—a city with consistently high homicide numbers—increased less than 1% and is the lowest rate in almost five 

years. In Baltimore, the murder and non-negligent homicide rate increased by 64% from 2014, the sharpest increase in 

the 30 largest U.S. cities. By comparison, other large cities—including Austin, San Antonio, San Jose, and Seattle—saw 

decreases in their homicide rate for 2015. Research suggests that the 2015 increases in homicide rates are related to higher 

unemployment, lower per capita income, and lower school success in these cities.B

2017 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide: Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets

Murder and Non-Negligent ManslaughterA

rate per 100,000 people

8.2

1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

10

2015 0

2

4

6

8

10

4.9

Largest Cities with Highest Murder RatesA,*

rate per 100,000 people

1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

75

2015

Washington, DC

Detroit, MI

Baltimore, MD

Chicago, IL

Milwaukee, WI

0

15

30

45

60

75

Largest Cities with Lowest Murder RatesA,*

rate per 100,000 people

1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

15

2015

San Antonio, TX

Austin, TX

Seattle, WA

San Diego, CA

San Jose, CA

0

3

6

9

12

15
NOTES/SOURCES 

* In 1999, the UCR did not report the murder rate for Baltimore. This number 

is calculated using police data and the reported population of Baltimore 

for 1999.

* * The percentages do not total because not all agencies provide ethnicity data.

*** “Acquaintance” here includes same-sex partners (per the UCR), as well as 

“Significant Others.” 

A FBI, Crime in the United States, 1995 - 2015, (U.S. Department of Justice) 

B Matthew Friedman et al., “Crime in 2016: A Preliminary Analysis,” (Brennan Center for Justice, 2016), https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/

crime-2016-preliminary-analysis

Murder and Non-Negligent M

(By Weapon Type

Othe

Asphy

Blunt 

Perso

Knives

Firear

In 2015, rates of murder and non-negligent homicide 

known to law enforcement were higher for men than 

women. Notably, black men were victims of murder and 

non-negligent homicide 1.5x more frequently than white 

men, and 3.3x more frequently than Hispanic or Latino 

men. White women were victims of homicide at a rate 1.8x 

greater than black women and 4.4x greater than Hispanic or 

Latina women.A

Of homicide and non-negligent manslaughter victims, 42% 

had some sort of relationship with the perpetrator, 10% had 

no relationship, and 48% had an unknown relationship.A

In 2014, 7 in 10 homicides and non-negligent 

manslaughters were committed with a firearm, 

and 1 in 10 were committed with a knife.

A

In 2015, there were 13,455 homicides and non-negligent 

manslaughters: 4% of these victims were 12 years old or 

younger, 33% were age 20 – 29, and 17% were over the age 

of 50. Individuals age 20 – 29 of either sex were killed more 

often than people in any other age range.A

Current Data on Homicide

Murder and 

Non-Negligent ManslaughterA

by region

In 2015, the majority of murder and non-negligent 

manslaughter occurred in the south (46%). The lowest 

proportion of all murder and non-negligent manslaughter 

occurred in the northeast (12%).A

South (46%)

Midwest (22%)

West (20%)

Northeast (12%)

Murder and 

Non-Negligent ManslaughterA

by weapon type

Firearm (71%)

Knife (11%)

Personal weapon (e.g., fist) (5%)

Blunt object (3%)

Asphyxiation/drowning/

strangulation (2%)

Other (7%)

Victim Relationship to PerpetratorA

Spouse

4.6

3.1

Child

1.0

Other family

2.1

Parent

1.9

Sibling

30%

Acquaintance***

Friend

Neighbor/

coworker

Stranger

25.6

10.2

0.8

2.7

Family

Non-family

Homicide VictimsA**

by ethnicity/race and sex

70%

Not Hispanic/

Latino

63

58

Hispanic/Latino 16

13

6

4 Unknown

White 62

39

Black 6

33

ethnicity race

Men

Women

Homicide VictimsA

by age and sex

0 – 12 3

10 13 – 19

12 40 – 49

50+

8

36 20 – 29

22 30 – 39

40%

Unknown

15

1

1

26

19

24

7

15 Men 

(79%)

Women 

(21%)