Increased risk of intimate partner homicide among California women who purchase handguns

Author: Wintemute, G. J. / Wright, M. A. / Drake, C. M.
Publication: Ann Emerg Med
Topics: Crime Criminology Domestic Violence Gender Homicide Suicide
Keywords: Firearms Handgun intimate violence
Bibliographic information +

In this letter to the editor, the authors expand on results from their previous research of mortality among handgun purchasers in California in 1991 that were followed-up through 1996. They used coroners’ reports for the 11 homicides that occurred among the 28,181 female handgun purchasers in that study and compared data with information for all adult California women in those years. Intimate partners were the assailants in 55% of homicides among handgun purchasers and 33% of homicides among all women in California. Firearms were used in 83% of intimate partner homicides and 73% of all homicides among handgun purchasers, and in 62% of intimate partner homicides and 53% of all homicides among all California women. Women who purchased handguns were at increased risk for intimate partner homicide but not for homicide involving other assailants. Female handgun purchasers were at increased risk for overall homicide.