Violence Policy Center Releases When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2000 Homicide Data

Mississippi Ranks #1 in Rate of Women Murdered by Men

WASHINGTON, DC—The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today released When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2000 Homicide Data. This annual report details female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender and illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide. The study found that in 2000, the most recent data available, a majority of female homicides were committed with firearms—and that 76 percent of all female firearm homicides were committed with handguns. The report includes a ranking of the top 15 states with the highest female homicide rates, with Mississippi ranking first in the rate of women killed by men. The study is being released to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

VPC Communications Director Naomi Seligman states, "The fact is that the majority of women are not killed by strangers lurking in the dark but by those that are closest to them, including spouses, intimate acquaintances, and close relatives. Contrary to the gun industry's empty rhetoric, guns don't offer protection to women, but guarantee peril." In addition to Mississippi, the top 10 ranked states are: Arizona, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, North Carolina, Arkansas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Georgia.

Ranking	State	Number of Homicides	Homicide Rate per 100,000
1	Mississippi	40	2.72
2	Arizona	58	2.26
3	South Carolina	46	2.23
4	Tennessee	62	2.12
5	Louisiana	47	2.04
6	North Carolina	81	1.97
7	Arkansas	26	1.90
8	New Mexico	17	1.84
9	Nevada	17	1.73
10	Georgia	70	1.68

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational foundation that conducts research on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction policies and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America, conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease firearm-related death and injury.