Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home

Abstract

Assessed the strength of the association between a variety of potential risk factors and homicide in the home. 444 of 1,860 homicides in 3 metropolitan areas were identified as occurring in the victims' homes. For each homicide, a proxy for the victim was interviewed. 24 cases were excluded, and proxy respondents were interviewed for 93% of the victims. The proxies' answers were compared with those of controls identified for 99.7% of the case interviews, yielding 388 matched pairs. As compared with controls, victims more often lived alone or rented their residences. 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 at home. Keeping a gun in the home was strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of homicide. Almost all of this risk involved homicide by a family member or intimate acquaintance