For young black males taken as a statistical whole, homicide rates are much higher than for the same demographic of white males.Â*This can be inferred from this US DOJ website, which shows higher overall homicide rates for blacks, with a much higher percentage of those deaths related to drugs, and with aÂ*higher percent of the crimes being committed by firearms over other methods:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm :
Â* Â* Â*
Â* Â* Â*Â*White/Black/Other
1996Â* Â*4.3 28.3 4.1
1997Â* Â*3.9 26.0 4.1
1998Â* Â*3.8 23.0 2.9
1999Â* Â*3.5 20.5 3.3
2000Â* Â*3.3 20.5 2.7
2001Â* Â*3.4 20.4 2.8
2002Â* Â*3.3 20.8 2.7
2003Â* Â*3.4 20.9 2.8
2004Â* Â*3.3 19.7 2.4
The race distribution of homicide victims and offenders differs by type of homicide
For the years 1976-2004 combined
- Black victims are greatly over represented in homicides involving drugs. Compared with the overall involvement of blacks as victims, blacks are less often the victims of sex-related homicides, workplace killings, and homicide by poison.Â*
WeaponÂ* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â*
Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* VictimsÂ* Â* Â* Â*Offenders
Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* White Black OtherÂ* Â* Â*White Black Other
Gun homicide 47.3% 50.8% 1.9%Â* Â*42.0% 56.2% 1.7%