Firearm-Associated Homicides Among Family Members, Relatives, or Friends—Ohio

IN 1985, 311 (56%) of 553 homicides in Ohio occurred among relatives or acquaintances; 191 (61%) of these 311 homicides involved the use of firearms (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), unpublished data, 1985). To learn more about firearm homicide among persons who are closely acquainted, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Division of Epidemiology interviewed offenders involved in homicides occurring between 1982 and 1985 that met the following six criteria: the homicide 1) occurred in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton, or Akron; 2) occurred between family members, relatives, or friends; 3) was committed with a firearm kept in the household; 4) victim and offender were greater than or equal to 18 years of age; 5) occurred in or within the immediate vicinity of a residence; and 6) was not secondary to another crime. The primary purposes of the investigation were to describe demographic characteristics of the offenders and to identify