There were dramatic increases in both homicide victimization and offending rates among young black males in the late 1980's and 1990's before recent declines in both categories. The sharp increase in homicides in the late 1980's and much of the subsequent decline in homicides are attributable to gun violence by juveniles and young adults, while nongun crimes remained largely unchanged. There has been a decline in homicide of intimates, especially male victims. Blacks were seven times more likely than whites to be homicide victims and eight times more likely than whites to commit homicides. The annual number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty declined mostly because of the decline in handgun murders.
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. Compared to the national average, murder rates, especially those involving guns, were higher in the South and on the West Coast and lower in New England, the Mountain region, and in the East North Central regions of the United States.