Case Study: Circumstances of Firearm Murders

Institute for Security Studies for the NCPC

The analysis of 57 firearm-related murder dockets revealed what activities the victims were involved in immediately before they were murdered. The table below presents the findings:

Table 31: Activity of Victim at the Time of the Murder
Activity %
At home/ on residential property 42
Waiting on street/ on foot 16
In transit 12
At place of recreation / entertainment 10
At shops 9
Visiting friends or relatives 7
At place of work or education 2
Other 2
Total 100
n=57
Source: Institute for Security Studies, 1999

In most cases (42%) the murder occurred at the victims’ homes. in 16% of the cases, they were murdered while waiting on the street or walking, in 12% of the cases while in transit and in 10% of the cases at a place of recreation or entertainment.

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