There has been a decline in homicide of intimates, especially male victims. The number of white females killed by intimates rose in the mid-1980's, declined after 1993, and in 1997 reached the lowest level recorded over the past two decades. Blacks were six times more likely to be homicide victims and seven times more likely than whites to commit homicides. The number of homicides of persons age 65 and over has been decreasing. Yet among all age groups, the elderly have the highest percentage of homicides that occur during the commission of a felony The annual number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty declined, mostly because of the decline in law enforcement officers killed with handguns.
Few homicides involve multiple offenders and fewer involve multiple victims.
The mix of circumstances surrounding homicides has changed over the last two decades. Although the number of homicides resulting from arguments has declined, arguments remain the most frequently cited circumstance. The homicide victimization rates of cities with a population of 1 million or more have plummeted to the lowest level in the past two decades. Cities of 250,000 to 499,999 had homicide rates that were the equivalent to the rates of the largest cities. Most of the swings in the prevalence of homicide during the past two decades occurred in cities with a population of 100,000 or more.