The devastation homicide inflicts on black teens and young adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities. To educate the public and policymakers about the reality of black homicide victimization, each year the VPC releases Black Homicide Victimization in the United States, which details state by state the circumstances of all reported homicides with black victims.
Our research shows the black homicide victimization rate is four times the national homicide victimization rate, and more than six times the homicide victimization rate for whites. Nearly 85 percent of black homicide victims are shot and killed with guns. These facts are both appalling and unacceptable. An important part of ending the gun violence epidemic is to reduce homicides in the African-American community.
Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2014 Homicide Data (March 2017)
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Previous Editions of Black Homicide Victimization in the United States