Homicide

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Homicide

Q:	What are the trends in homicides committed by juveniles involving firearms?
A:	The national trend in murders by known juvenile offenders reflected the growth and subsequent decline in crimes committed with firearms.

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Between 1984 and 1994, the number of firearm related homicides committed by known juvenile offenders quadrupled.
The sharp decline in homicides by known juvenile offenders between 1994 and 2002 was attributable entirely to a decline in homicides by firearm.
Between 2002 and 2006, while the number of nonfirearm-related homicides committed by known juvenile offenders increased slightly (5%), murders by juveniles with firearms increased 42%. In the early 1990s, about 80% of known juvenile homicide offenders were involved in firearm-related homicides; this percentage fell to 62% in 2001 but rose to 72% by 2006.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03103.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on October 24, 2008.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C. and Kang, W. (2008). Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports: 1980-2006. Available on-line at: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/.

Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980–2006 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: FBI.