Homicide in United States

United States

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States has a homicide rate more than double the average for OECD member countries. In 2022, more than 24,000 homicides were committed in the U.S., of which more than 19,000 involved a firearm. About 8 in 10 homicides involve a firearm. 

Losing a loved one or community member through violent means can have significant psychological implications — survivors are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and substance abuse issues. Furthermore, homicide events create feelings of fear and vulnerability that can negatively impact health and quality of life, impacting a sense of security that is important to individual and community well-being. Compromised personal security may limit engagement in healthy outdoor activities such as walking and biking, or even prevent people from being able to access healthy food outlets. It can also negatively impact participation in neighborhood activities, which in turn can limit economic growth, harm local businesses and stunt community progress.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the rate of homicide deaths is higher among:

• The Black population, which has a rate more than 20 times higher than the Asian population. The American Indian/Alaska Native population also has a high rate.
• Males, who have a rate four times higher than females. 
• Adults ages 25-34 and those ages 15-24 compared with older age groups.

The surgeon general’s advisory on firearm violence assesses contributing factors to and consequences of the current crisis from a public health perspective, and provides an in-depth list of community risk reduction and education prevention strategies to prevent firearm-related death and injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides Prevention Resources for Action, a compilation of the best available evidence on violence prevention. Additionally, the Violence Prevention in Practice resource serves as a tool to support state and local health agencies in planning, implementing and evaluating violence prevention efforts in their communities.

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps recommends strengthening firearm licensing laws as a strategy to reduce firearm-related homicides.

Community organizations can collaborate with public health and safety organizations to analyze local patterns of gun violence and develop targeted solutions. For example, the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission (MHRC), a multidisciplinary and multi agency effort, was able to cut homicide rates in half within intervention districts.

Healthy People 2030 has several violence prevention objectives, including:

• Reducing homicides.
• Reducing firearm-related deaths.
• Reducing nonfatal firearm-related injuries.

Azrael, Deborah, Anthony A. Braga, and Mallory O’Brien. “Developing the Capacity to Understand and Prevent Homicide: An Evaluation of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission.” Unpublished grant report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, January 2013. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240814.pdf.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2024. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/firearm-violence-advisory.pdf.

Zinzow, Heidi M., Alyssa A. Rheingold, Alesia O. Hawkins, Benjamin E. Saunders, and Dean G. Kilpatrick. “Losing a Loved One to Homicide: Prevalence and Mental Health Correlates in a National Sample of Young Adults.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 22, no. 1 (February 2009): 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20377.