A profile of homicides on the streets and in the homes of New York City. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Although prior research has found that homes containing firearms and illicit drug and ethanol users are more likely to be the scene of a homicide than homes that do not contain these elements, the authors studied homicides on the streets as well as in homes so as to assess the role of firearms, cocaine, and ethanol in both settings. Using the files of the Chief Medical Examiner, the authors reviewed all 4,468 homicides occurring in New York City in 1990 and 1991. The most frequent places of occurrence were the streets and other outdoor places (49.6 percent) and the victims' homes (19.3 percent). Firearms were the cause of death for 49.6 percent of homicides in the home and 80.3 percent of those on the streets. Use of cocaine and ethanol was found more frequently among victims killed on the streets than those killed at home. In addition, victims killed on the streets were more likely to be male, ages 15-24 years, and African American. Further research in regard to prevention and intervention strategies is needed, keeping in mind the different patterns of homicide on the streets compared with those occurring in other settings.

publication date

  • January 1, 1995

Research

keywords

  • Homicide

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC1382068

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0028795312

PubMed ID

  • 7838937

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 110

issue

  • 1