Preceding circumstances of homicide and suicide deaths: National Violent Death Reporting System, 2004–2005

In 2004, homicides and suicides were the 2nd and 3rd leading causes of death, respectively, for those aged 10-34 years. This study characterizes victim demographics and preceding circumstances of homicides and suicides for selected states, allowing agencies to identify risk factors and develop prevention programs. Data were analyzed from the 2004-2005 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), which contained information on 24,644 homicides and suicides. NVDRS links death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, and police reports to provide comprehensive information on violent deaths. Thirteen states collected data in 2004 (AK, MD, MA, NJ, OR, SC, VA, CO, GA, NC, OK, RI and WI) and sixteen in 2005 (original 13 plus NM, UT, and KY) the latter represented 24% of the US population. Homicide rates were the same for 2004 and 2005 (5.6 per 100,000 population); rates were highest among males and those aged 20-24 years. In 2005, 48.7% of homicides were precipitated by arguments and 18.8% resulted from intimate partner violence (IPV). Suicides accounted for approximately half of violent deaths reported to NVDRS in 2004-2005; highest rates were among males and those aged 45-54 years. In 2005, 41.0% of suicide victims had been diagnosed with mental illness, 30.9% had intimate partner problems, 29.6% had a crisis 2-weeks prior to death, and 27.0% had disclosed intent to commit suicide. The NVDRS identifies: violent death commonalities (IPV), leading to integration of prevention efforts that decrease both forms of violence; differences by demographics; and many potentially actionable factors (disclosure of suicide intent).