Abstract
The primary aim of this study is to determine the relationship between situational factors, method of death, and homicide-suicide deaths, specifically comparing method of death (firearm vs. nonfirearm) across these factors. We used data from the national violence death reporting system, a reporting system for violent deaths that links data from multiple sources. We included incidents that involved at least one homicide death followed by perpetrator suicide in the 42 states from 2013 to 2016. In addition to univariate analyses, we compared proportions of incidents that included a firearm to non-firearm incidents by incident, victim, and perpetrator characteristics. By far, firearm-related injuries were the most frequent cause of death for victims (85.6%) and for perpetrators (89.5%). Women, Hispanic individuals, individuals with a current mental health issue, and individuals with recent depression symptoms had lower odds of using a firearm, as did perpetrators who killed both an intimate partner and other family member. Individuals who had recently been in a fight had increased odds of using a firearm. Despite these differences, the overwhelming majority of homicide-suicide deaths involved firearms, which supports the need for adequate, appropriate firearm control measures to prevent these tragedies.
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Acknowledgements
Contributors to this report included participating Violent Death Reporting System states; participating state agencies, including state health departments, vital registrars’ offices, coroners’ and medical examiners’ offices, crime laboratories, and local and state law enforcement agencies; partner organizations, including the Safe States Alliance, National Violence Prevention Network, National Association of Medical Examiners, National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS), Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; federal agencies, including the Department of Justice (Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation), the Department of the Treasury (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms); the International Association of Chiefs of Police; other stakeholders, researchers, and foundations, including The Joyce Foundation, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. This research uses data from NVDRS, a surveillance system designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The findings are based, in part, on the contributions of the 42 funded states and territories that collected violent death data and the contributions of the states’ partners, including personnel from law enforcement, vital records, medical examiners/coroners, and crime laboratories. The analyses, results, and conclusions presented here represent those of the authors and not necessarily reflect those of CDC. Persons interested in obtaining data files from NVDRS should contact CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS F-64, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, (800) CDC-INFO (232-4636).
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Appendix: NVDRS variable definitions
Appendix: NVDRS variable definitions
Other factors | Description from NVDRS |
|---|---|
Jealousy | Jealousy or distress over a current or former intimate partner’s relationship or suspected relationship with another person led to the incident |
Mercy killing | Victim was killed, at the victim’s request, out of compassion in order to end his/her pain or distress |
Fight: argument | An argument or conflict led to the death |
Fight: brawl | A mutual physical fight between three or more people |
Fight: fight between two people | Immediately prior to the death, a physical fight between two people |
Fight: intervener assisting victim | Victim intervened, other than a law enforcement officer |
Stressor: disaster | Exposure to a disaster contributed to death |
Stressor: loss of housing | Loss of housing, or threat of it, contributed to death |
Stressor: financial problem | Financial problems contributed to death |
Stressor: job problem | Job problem(s) contributed to death |
Stressor: civil legal problem | Non-criminal legal problems contributed to death |
Stressor: criminal legal problem | Criminal legal problems contributed to death |
Stressor: school problems | Problems at or related to school contributed to death |
Stressor: traumatic anniversary | Incident occurred on or near the anniversary of a traumatic event and contributed to death |
Stressor: physical health | Physical health problem contributed to the death |
Interpersonal stressor: family relationship | Relationship problems with a non-intimate partner family member contributed to the death |
Interpersonal stressor: interpersonal violence perpetrator | Perpetrator of violence within the past month other than the incident that resulted in the death |
Interpersonal stressor: interpersonal violence victim | Victim of violence within the past month other than the incident that resulted in the death |
Interpersonal stressor: social network suicide death | Suicide of a family member or friend contributed to death |
Interpersonal stressor: social network death | Death of a family member or friend due to something other than suicide contributed to death |
Suicide: thoughts | History of suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts |
Suicide: intent disclosed | Disclosed thoughts/plans to commit suicide within the past month |
Suicide: attempt | History of attempting suicide |
Substance use: drug involvement | Drug dealing, drug trade, or drug use is suspected to have played a role in precipitating the incident |
Substance use: substance abuse | Non-alcohol related substance abuse problem |
Substance use: alcohol problem | Alcohol dependence or alcohol problem |
Depressed mood | Perceived by self or others to be depressed |
Mental health: mental health problem | Identified as currently having a mental health problem |
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Schwab-Reese, L.M., Peek-Asa, C. Factors contributing to homicide-suicide: differences between firearm and non-firearm deaths. J Behav Med 42, 681–690 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00066-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00066-9