NCJ Number
146835
Journal
New England Journal of Medicine Volume: 329 Issue: 15 Dated: (October 7, 1993) Pages: 1084-1091
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Because it is not known whether keeping a gun in the home protects against crime or instead increases the risk of violent crime in the home, a population-based case control study was conducted to identify potential risk factors and the incidence of homicide in the home.
Abstract
Homicide cases that occurred in two Tennessee counties (King and Shelby) between August 1987 and August 1992 and homicide cases in Cuyahoga County between January 1990 and August 1992 were included in the analysis. After each homicide, data were obtained from police officers and/or medical examiners and from victim proxies. Answers of proxies were compared to those of control subjects matched to victims according to neighborhood, sex, race, and age. Of 1,860 total homicides in the three counties, 444 (23.9 percent) occurred in the victim's home. In comparison with controls, victims more often lived alone or rented their residences. In addition, homicide case households more commonly contained an illicit drug user, a person with prior arrests, or someone who had been hit or hurt in a fight in the home. Keeping a gun in the home was strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of homicide, and this risk predominantly involved homicide by a family member or an intimate acquaintance. The authors conclude that the use of illicit drugs and a history of physical fighting in the home are important risk factors for homicide in the home. Rather than confer protection, guns kept in the home are associated with an increased risk of homicide by a family member or an intimate acquaintance. 32 references and 6 tables