Profiles of Violent Death

There were 65,000 violent deaths in the United States in 2016, according to the CDC. The 62 percent majority were suicides, followed by homicides (25 percent), deaths of undetermined intent (11 percent),  legal intervention (1 percent), and unintentional firearm deaths (fewer than 1 percent). The legal intervention category is defined as "deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force in the line of duty, excluding legal executions."

The CDC analyzed the circumstances surrounding the violent deaths that occurred in 32 states in 2016. In those states, there were 23,630 suicides, 10,336 homicides, 515 legal interventions, and 295 unintentional firearm deaths. The CDC examined the demographics of the victims  (age, sex, race), the method of death (firearm, sharp instrument, drowning, etc.), the location of death (house/apartment, street, etc.), and precipitating circumstances (depression, intimate partner problem, job problem, crime in progress, and so on).

Looking at the most likely scenario for each type of violent death, here are their profiles...

Suicide: A non-Hispanic White (83 percent) man (77 percent) aged 35 to 64 (52 percent) shot (49 percent) or hung (28 percent) himself in his house/apartment (74 percent) because he was depressed (74 percent). He did not leave a suicide note (66 percent), nor did he disclose to others his suicide intent (76.5 percent).

Homicide: A Black (56 percent) man (79 percent) aged 20 to 34 (46 percent) was shot (74 percent) in his house/apartment (47 percent) by an acquaintance/friend (27 percent) during an argument (32 percent).

Legal intervention death: A non-Hispanic White (50 percent) man (96 percent) aged 25 to 44 (59 percent) was shot (96 percent) in a house/apartment (38 percent) or on the street (28 percent). He had a drug problem (26 percent) or mental illness (21 percent). He had a weapon (73 percent).

Unintentional firearm death: A non-Hispanic White (59 percent) man (86 percent) aged 15 to 24 (35 percent) was in his house/apartment (74 percent), playing (35 percent) with a handgun (63 percent) when he unintentionally pulled the trigger (23.5 percent).

Source: CDC, Surveillance for Violent Deaths—National Violent Death Reporting System, 32 States, 2016

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cashiers

More cashiers than cops are murdered on the job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—54 cashiers and 51 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2016. Of course, the homicide rate is much higher for cops because there are fewer cops than cashiers (708,000 police and sheriff's patrol officers versus 3.3 million cashiers). But the BLS workplace homicide statistics should send a shiver down the spine of any parent whose child is thinking of working a cash register. 

Overall, there were exactly 500 workplace homicides in 2016, up from 417 in 2015. The BLS has compiled a detailed table of gruesome statistics, revealing…

—409 men and 91 women were murdered on the job in 2016

—394 of the homicides were shootings (79 percent)

—152 workplace homicide victims were murdered by a robber

—78 were murdered by a domestic partner or relative (40 percent of the women killed)

—66 were murdered by a co-worker

Although firearms accounted for the great majority of workplace homicides, a wide variety of other instruments were responsible for some of the deaths including 3 murders by rebar, 7 by passenger vehicle, 1 by mallet, and 1 by tarp. 

Among workers at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants, 88 were murdered at work in 2016. Among those working for local law enforcement—including police officers as well as clerical and other staff—57 were killed on the job.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, There were 500 Workplace Homicides in the United States in 2016

Analyzing 10,000 Murders

Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for women under age 45, reports the CDC. What are the characteristics of women who become homicide victims? To find out, the CDC analyzed 10,018 murders of women aged 18 or older occurring from 2003 to 2014 and reported to the National Violent Death Reporting System, which includes data from 18 states. These are some of their characteristics...

Age of homicide victim
18 to 29: 29%
30 to 39: 22%
40 to 49: 21%
50-plus: 28%

Marital status of homicide victim
Married/partner: 32%
Never married: 38%
Separated/divorced: 30%

Education of homicide victim
Less than high school: 25%
High school graduate: 41%
Some college or more: 34%

Women who die by homicide are young and old, from all educational backgrounds, and about evenly split by marital status. What they have in common is that most were murdered by a current or former intimate partner (55 percent) and most were killed by guns (54 percent).

Source: CDC, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Homicides of Adult Women and the Role of Intimate Partner Violence—United States, 2003–2014