More Than 1,300 Murder-Suicide Deaths Occurred in 2011, New Study Estimates
WASHINGTON, DC--At least 691 Americans died in 313 murder-suicides during the first six months of 2011 with the vast majority (89.5 percent) involving a firearm, according to the fourth edition of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) study "American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States" (http://www.vpc.org/studies/amroul2012.pdf). Using these figures, the VPC estimates that more than 1,300 Americans died in murder-suicides in 2011 and that 12 murder-suicides occur in the United States each week.
For the study, the VPC used Internet news reports to collect every reported murder-suicide in the United States from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011. Currently there is no national tracking system for these incidents. As a result, the VPC analysis is most likely the largest study conducted on murder-suicide.
VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand states, “Murder-suicides destroy families and negatively impact entire communities. While the factors contributing to murder-suicide are becoming better understood, much more needs to be done from a prevention standpoint, including recognition of the key role played by firearms.”
Additional information contained in the report includes the following.