Black women experience dramatically higher rates of homicide victimization by males compared to other racial groups, with guns being the primary weapon used, according to a new Violence Policy Center study analyzing 2023 federal data.
In 2023, 733 Black females were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents at a rate of 3.1 per 100,000. This compares to a rate of 1.2 per 100,000 for white women and 1.4 per 100,000 nationwide across all races. Black females represented 14 percent of the female population but accounted for 31.4 percent of females killed by males in these incidents.
Nine out of 10 Black females murdered by males knew their killers. Of victims whose relationship to the offender could be determined, 90.2 percent were killed by someone they knew rather than a stranger. More than half were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders.
Firearms, especially handguns, were overwhelmingly the weapon of choice. When the murder weapon could be identified, 74.7 percent of Black female victims were shot and killed with guns, with handguns accounting for 61.5 percent. This percentage has increased substantially from 51 percent in 2011 to 74.7 percent in 2023.
According to Kristen Rand, VPC Government Affairs Director, Black women have the highest rate of homicide victimization by males in our nation and are almost always killed by someone they know. This is an ongoing crisis that demands immediate public attention and increased resources in support of domestic violence prevention efforts.
See: “Black Women Murdered by Men Are Almost Always Killed by Someone They Know, Most Commonly with a Gun” (September 24, 2025)
