An official website of the United States government. Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation
Home • Crime in the U.S. • 2015 • Crime in the U.S. 2015 • Tables • Expanded Homicide Data Table 11

Expanded Homicide Data Table 11

Murder Circumstances

by Weapon, 2015

Circumstances Total
murder
victims		 Total
firearms		 Handguns Rifles Shotguns Other
guns or
type not
stated		 Knives or
cutting
instruments		 Blunt
objects
(clubs,
hammers,
etc.)		 Personal
weapons
(hands,
fists, feet,
etc.)		 Poison Pushed
or
thrown
out
window		 Explosives Fire Narcotics Drowning Strangulation Asphyxiation Other
Total 13,455 9,616 6,447 252 269 2,648 1,544 437 623 7 1 1 82 70 14 96 120 844
Felony type total: 2,014 1,458 1,042 36 40 340 178 84 72 1 0 0 34 40 2 16 14 115
Rape 12 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Robbery 595 467 366 5 15 81 42 27 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 5 21
Burglary 102 66 33 7 4 22 13 8 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 8
Larceny-theft 16 12 8 0 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Motor vehicle theft 41 19 9 1 1 8 10 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7
Arson 19 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 0 4
Prostitution and commercialized vice 6 3 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Other sex offenses 15 6 5 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3
Narcotic drug laws 468 389 306 7 2 74 19 7 4 1 0 0 0 35 0 0 0 13
Gambling 5 4 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other-not specified 735 490 307 16 17 150 88 36 31 0 0 0 17 5 2 6 5 55
Suspected felony type 117 84 56 1 4 23 9 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 13
Other than felony type total: 5,958 3,941 2,884 140 162 755 913 203 410 4 0 0 11 20 9 47 72 328
Romantic triangle 106 76 54 3 7 12 19 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
Child killed by babysitter 36 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 19 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 10
Brawl due to influence of alcohol 112 41 27 2 2 10 31 9 14 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 15
Brawl due to influence of narcotics 75 41 26 2 1 12 8 1 6 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 9
Argument over money or property 184 127 95 10 5 17 31 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 5
Other arguments 2,941 1,822 1,325 50 99 348 633 111 186 2 0 0 7 1 5 29 29 116
Gangland killings 188 175 146 5 0 24 8 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
Juvenile gang killings 604 578 465 6 3 104 20 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Institutional killings 24 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1
Sniper attack 5 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other-not specified 1,683 1,075 745 60 44 226 161 57 162 2 0 0 2 10 3 10 34 167
Unknown 5,366 4,133 2,465 75 63 1,530 444 147 139 2 1 1 37 10 3 31 30 388