Nine Murder-Suicides a Week

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The stunned response -- which through the repetition of cable news has now reached the standard of cliche -- of those in denial about the breadth and depth of gun violence in America is some variant of the statement, "I can't believe it happened here." This is often followed by a bewildered recitation of the up-until-he-pulled-the trigger attributes of the shooter. Rarely acknowledged is the fact that few fully understand or are aware of the pressures and frailties of others' lives, sometimes even within our own families.

The potential for devastation when such pressures intersect with a gun is made clear in a new study released today by my organization, the Violence Policy Center, titled American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States. Because there is no national, comprehensive data collection on murder-suicides (where the murderer commits one or multiple homicides, and then shortly after commits suicide), the study used a national clipping service to collect every reported murder-suicide in the United States from January 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007. Although this means that some murder-suicides were missed during the six-month study period, the analysis is most likely the largest study conducted on murder-suicide in the U.S.

During this six-month period, at least 554 Americans died in murder-suicides, with the vast majority (88.5 percent) involving a firearm. Using these figures, the study estimates that more than 1,100 Americans died in murder-suicides in 2007 -- ranging from high-profile mass shootings like the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech massacre to familial shootings claiming the lives of spouses and children. Nine states had 10 or more murder-suicides in the six-month period of the study: Florida (24), Texas (24), California (17), Pennsylvania (14), Arizona (12), Georgia (12), New York (11), North Carolina (10), and Ohio (10). Additional study findings from the six-month survey period include:

• Of the 554 murder-suicide deaths, 234 were suicides and 320 were homicides. Ninety-five percent of murder-suicides were committed by men.
• Nine murder-suicide events occurred in the United States each week during the study period.
• Seventy-three percent of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner (spouse, common-law spouse, ex-spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend). Of these, 94 percent were females killed by their intimate partners.
• Forty-five of the homicide victims were children and teens less than 18 years of age. Forty-four children and teens less than 18 years of age were survivors who witnessed some aspect of the murder-suicide.
• Most murder-suicides occurred in the home (75 percent).

All too often, lost among the statistics are the actual lives ended and families destroyed by such acts:

In March 2007, Michigan newlyweds James Hawkins and Allynn McDade were found dead in their home. Hawkins, 49, shot and killed his wife, 26, with a handgun as they argued while their four children prepared for school. A family friend saw the children, ages three, six, seven, and nine, looking out the window, went inside to investigate, and found the couple's bodies. Hawkins shot his wife and had fired at the oldest child before killing himself.

In January 2007, relatives entered a Florida home "festooned with holiday decorations" to find David Bryant, 58, and his wife Cathy, 53, shot to death. Sheriff's officials determined David shot his wife and then took his own life in the couple's bedroom. The couple retired from the corrections division of the Sheriff's office in 2004 and had just adopted a dog the week prior to the incident. A former colleague at the Sheriff's department said, "They were a happy couple as far as anybody knows... Sometimes things happen to people behind closed doors."

From homes and businesses to schools and churches, murder-suicide wreaks havoc on American families and communities each year. Until more Americans realize, "It can -- and does -- happen here," this toll will continue unabated.

Comments

[Thirdpower]

Let's see. Maybe more of them have something to do w/ events like this:

Murder exposes flaws in parole system
Months after arrest for battery, parolee kills ex-girlfriend, self

By Angela Rozas and Mary Owen | Tribune reporters
April 11, 2008

Glenford Martinez was on parole for murder when he allegedly choked his former girlfriend, Mersaides McCauley, in November until she passed out. She filed charges, cut off ties with him and got an order of protection.

Under state law, authorities could have charged Martinez with violating his parole for the domestic-battery arrest and could have held him without bail pending his new case. But that didn't happen, and Martinez remained free.

But Josh would rather put all the blame on legal gun owners instead of criminals.

[1will]

Only when we totally disarm women will they be able to stand up to men that outweigh them by 70 lbs and have twice their upper body strength. Clearly women that have stalkers, abusive exes and restraining orders against men, have no need for firearms.

[Portnoy]

America does not have a gun problem.

America has a problem with people who mishandle guns

Banning guns will not stop people from shooting other people with guns.

Educating citizens on the proper use of guns will drastrically reduce gun related crimes.

Which do you prefer? Elimination of choice and government control over our lives? Or personal freedom to make or not make the proper choices in our lives?

[Brainoverbraun]

American's love to rationalize their gun laws with this position but the truth is all other industrialized nations have stronger gun laws and considerably less gun violence (you are in fact the worst by a huge margin). So the facts speak for themselves.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you can all shoot each other if you like, but your ignorance in clinging to this rationalization that the guns are not the problem is foolish and you are all paying a huge price for it.

[lastcallmd]

You leave out the cultural factors when making that kind of comparison. Washington, DC has probably the strongest gun laws in the country, in place for 25+ years and the gun murder rate remains strong. Our real problem is that we have abdicated in our responsibility to protect ourselves. Somehow we've been sold the notion that it is not up to each individual to protect him/herself and family. In fact, it is wrong. Call the police, we're told. But the police can't help until something has actually happened, i.e. you're dead.

We need a new paradigm, based on reality. A heavily armed society, where everyone knew the other guy probably had a gun too, would after a while, settle into an exceedingly polite and civil society. One in which the criminals would diminish, crime suddenly being not so quite a sure thing. Like the bumper sticker says "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." Glib, but so, so, totally true here in the nation's capitol.

[Thirdpower]

Even though your little meme is false (Russia, South Africa, Mexico, etc.) basically what you're saying is that industrialization creates morality so less industrialized countries are less moral than those that are.

Here's a little fact for you. Illinois , a state comparable in size and population of many "industrialized countries" has a population of 12.8 million w/ a murder rate of 6.1/100K (780)

Chicago had 22.2% of the population of Illinois yet accounted for 60% of murders w/ a per capita rate of 16.4/100K

Cook County had 41.4% of the population of Illinois yet accounted for 73.6% of murders w/ a per capita rate of 10.83/100K

The Cook County murders in raw number/per capita increased 4.4% and 4.9% respectively while arrest numbers and rates dropped over 18% from '05 to '06.

If Chicago were to fall into Lake Michigan, the Illinois murder rate would drop to 3.14

Were the rest of Cook County to follow suit, the rate would drop to 2.74. That's comparable to other "industrialized countries" .

Guess where the preponderance of legal firearm ownership is in the state?

[kaveman]

I, for one, do realize that violence can happen anywhere.

That is why I have decided to carry a firearm everywhere I can legally do so.

[rabb046]

Great idea. Because surely you'll be attending the Christmas dinner at which Uncle Charlie finally snaps and tries to fill the missus full o' lead for serving that Goddamn Oyster Stuffing again, even though she knows he can't stand it. You'll save the day as you take Charlie out with a single shot since his draw is a little off what with the eggnog and all. That is, you BETTER take him out with just one shot cuz if you don't he's gonna be more than a little sore knowing you just shot him. THEN the bullets will really fly. But at least the family will be gathered together again to share in the holiday cheer that is Christmas in an armed America. God Bless Us, Everyone!

[kaveman]

Howdy rabbo46.

Not sure what to think about your little rant other than to say that I do not have an uncle Charlie and I'm a bit intrigued about this oyster stuffing. Could you please post a recipe? It may be nasty but I'm will ing to give it a go.

Ya see, when I'm not blowing away family members, I really do enjoy sipping a nice Merlot and experimenting in the kitchen. I make a killer banana bread and a mushroom stir-fry to die for.

Thanks for posting!!!

[Thirdpower]

Now show us where your little fantasy has taken place in the 48 states that have CCW and you might actually have a point.

[Thirdpower]

And how many of those "murder-suicides" involved legal ownership of said firearms, restraining orders, and multiple involvements of the authorities previous?

[hopeless277]

Republicans call it 'culling the herd'.