HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05211996 - D8 •'TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS F&HS-06
Contra
FROM: /
FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE . 's Costa
County
DATE: May 13, 1996
SUBJECT: REPORT ON THE HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S REPORT ON
FIREARM INJURIES
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. DIRECT the Health Services Director to present the report on Firearm Injuries
to the Police Chiefs' Association and seek their comments on the extent to
which the information seems to be valid, useful and what recommendations
they would have for further follow-up.
2. DIRECT the Health Services Director to present the report on Firearm Injuries
to the School District Superintendents and County Superintendent of Schools
and seek their comments on the extent to which the information seems to be
valid, useful and what recommendations they would have for further follow-up.
3. Recognizing that both pro and anti-gun advocates have firmly held views on
this subject, indicate the interest of this Committee in identifying effective
strategies and programs which will reduce the incidence of firearms injuries
and DIRECT the County Administrator to seek input from all interested parties
on what actions by the Board of Supervisors would be most likely to be
effective in reducing the incidence of firearm injuries, and, in particular, with
reducing the incidence of suicides and unintentional injuries by firearms.
4. DIRECT the Health Services Director to prepare a two or three page paper
which describes a timeline over the next 3 to 5 years which discusses whether
funding will be available to continue this type of research, whether we can
expect to expand the research to do linkage to public safety data bases and
whether we can gain an ability to track weapons.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD,COMMIT EE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON May 21, 1996 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
I
ATTESTED May 21, 1996
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
cc: IS AND COUNTY ADMI OR
See Page 3
Y
r
F&HS-06
5. DIRECT the County Administrator to schedule a further discussion of this
subject with our Committee at which reports on all of the above
recommendations can be presented and considered.
BACKGROUND:
On April 16, 1996, the Board of Supervisors referred to our Committee the Health
Services Department's study entitled "Profile of Firearm Injuries & Deaths in Contra
Costa County: A Report of the Firearm Injury Reporting, Surveillance, and Tracking
(FIRST) Project". In referring the report to our Committee, the Board asked that our
Committee:
• coordinate an overall policy for effective implementation by the Board which
includes specific programs and projects relative to the access to guns and
reduction of overall violence in Contra Costa County,
• correspond with the Police Chiefs' Association and the superintendents of the
school districts in the County to obtain their input, and
• hold hearings on this subject.
On May 13, 1996, our Committee met with Dr. Wendel Brunner, Public Health
Director and staff from the Community Wellness and Prevention Program, including
Jennifer Balogh, data coordinator for the Community Wellness and Prevention
Program.
Ms. Balogh summarized the background of the report and some of the more
significant numbers, including those which are included in the Executive Summary
to the Report.
In response to questions from the audience, it was noted that the study does not
attempt to address:
how often firearms actually prevent an injury by discouraging an individual
from using a firearm.
the extent to which guns that cause injuries have been obtained illegally.
whether a firearm injury is caused by a criminal who has previously been
convicted of a violent crime and is back on the street.
Dr. Brunner noted that justified shootings constitute only about 1% of all firearms
injuries.
Supervisor Smith noted the very high rate of suicide with guns and commented on
the fact that those who want to commit suicide and use a gun are more likely to be
successful than those who try other methods which are less lethal. He also noted
the number of unintentional firearm injuries to youth and the elderly.
Our Committee is interested in identifying those strategies which are most likely to
be effective in reducing the incidence of firearms injuries and is seeking input and
suggestions from whoever has suggestions to make in this regard.
-2-
• Dr
F&HS-06
cc: County Administrator
District Attorney
Sheriff-Coroner
Health Services Director
County Probation Officer
Public Health Director
Mental Health Director
Susan Leahy, Director, Community Wellness and
Prevention Programs, HSD
-3-
t D- 9
t
Proffle -of Firearm Injuries and
Deaths in Contra Costa County:
A Report of the Firearm Injury Reporting,
Surveillance, and Tracking (FIRST) Project
120 Rate per 100,000
FMale
100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Female -
80 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
60 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0
0-04 5-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 25.29 3034 3539 40.44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60.64 65.69 70.74
Age Group
Firearm Homicide Rates in Contra Costa County from July 1, 1993-June 30,1994,
by Victim Sex and Age.
Contra • County
DepartmentHealth Services
Pre.ventio.n
Program
-'597 Center Awe., Suite 115
Martinez, CA .,
-553
'(511 646-6.511
..�
Contra Costa County
The Board of Supervisors HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Jim Rogers, 1st District William B.Walker, M.D.
Jeff Smith,2nd District aE_•s ;oa Director&Health Officer
Gayle Bishop,3rd District - -
Mark DeSaulnier,4th District / 20 Allen Street
Tom Torlakson,5th District — - Martinez,California 94553-3191
o`• (510)370-5003 FA510
( )
County Administrator FAX 370-5099
....° _
Phil Batchelor cOSrA cbut+�
County Administrator
April 1996
The Contra Costa County Health Services Department is pleased to publish the "Profile of Firearm Injuries
and Deaths in Contra Costa County:A Report of the Firearm Injury Reporting, Surveillance, and Tracking
(FIRST) Project." The study's findings are a result of comprehensive research and data integration, an
unusual effort by a local health department, yet essential to the formulation of effective programs and
policies that address the health effects of firearm violence.
This report follows the Health Department's ground-breaking research and publications on firearms dealers,
childhood injury, and violence in the county. These studies have revealed that, since 1988, Contra Costa has
experienced higher rates of death from firearms than from automobile injuries.
Throughout the nation, violence has emerged as the number one public health concern. As a health
professional, I have seen education and policy initiatives that have helped to reduce the risks associated with
motor vehicles,including seat belts, air bags, and stiffer penalties for drinking and driving. Now is the time to
focus on one of the most deadly and most preventable health risks of modern American society: firearm
injuries.
The FIRST Project Report, as most state and national research supports, shows that African American males
are most at risk for assault and homicide by firearms, while white males are most at risk for suicide by
firearms. But, it also tells us more: that there is a correlation between poverty and violence, not just race;
that people are more at risk from friends and intimates who possess firearms than from armed strangers;
that victims of firearms violence are predominately assaulted by members of their own race; and that more
than three-quarters of all homicides are committed with handguns.
It is my hope that the FIRST Project Report will be utilized by community agencies, law enforcement,
hospital staff and other health workers to reduce and prevent violence.Among other applications, the FIRST
Project Report can be used as: a foundation for formulating policies to restrict the availability of and access
to firearms; a source of clearly documented statistics that describe the dimensions of the problem; and a
baseline measure that will reveal our progress toward the goal of reducing firearm violence and unnecessary
injuries in our communities.
The FIRST Project Report is a unique profile of firearm injuries during a one-year period. Without the
complete cooperation and voluntary assistance of area hospitals and law enforcement, this study would have
not been possible. I wish to thank health department staff who produced this report, as well as the California
Emergency Medical Services Authority who funded the Contra Costa County Health Services Department to
conduct the FIRST Project.
William Walker, MD
Health Services Director
Merrithew Memorial Hospital&Health Centers • Public Health • Mental Health • Substance Abuse • Environmental Health
Contra Costa Health Plan • Emergency Medical Services • Home Health Agency • Geriatrics
A-345 (1/96)
Profile of Firearm Injuries and
Deaths in Contra Costa County:
A Report of the Firearm Injury Reporting,
Surveillance, and Tracking (FIRST) Project
Heather McLaughlin, M.P.H./M.S.W.
Kamala Deosaransingh, M.P.H.
Jennifer Balogh, M.P.H./M.S.W.
Contra Costa County Health Services Department
Prevention Program
April 1996
The FIRST Project and this report were Funded primarily by the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority
under Special Projects Grant #EMS-2026, 2028. For additional copies, please contact: Contra Costa County Health
rmw-mmrgoGWw Services Department Prevention Program.597 Center Avenue,Suite 115,Martinez,CA 94553.Phone:(510)646-6511.
Acknowledgments
The Prevention Program acknowl- Walnut Creek.
edges the following agencies and indi- We wish to thank the following hospi-
viduals who were instrumental in tals that provided us with data and assis-
completing this study. Without their tance: Brookside Hospital in San Pablo,
contributions to the Firearm Injury Re- Children's Hospital Oakland,Delta Me-
porting, Surveillance, and Tracking morial Hospital in Antioch, Doctors
(FIRST)system,this project would not Hospital in Pinole,Highland Hospital in
have been possible. In particular, we Oakland, Kaiser Permanente Oakland,
thank the Contra Costa County Child- Kaiser Permanente Richmond, Los
hood Injury Prevention Coalition Medanos Community Hospital in
(CIPC); Contra Costa County Sheriff- Pittsburg, Merrithew Memorial Hospi-
Coroner's Office;the State of California tal in Martinez,and Mt.Diablo Medical
Emergency Medical Services Authority Center in Walnut Creek.
(with special thanks to Art Lathrop,Barb This report was prepared by the staff
Center, and Linda Ruiz-Allen); John of the Prevention Program,Contra Costa
Muir Medical Center Injury Prevention County Health Services Department:
Program (with special thanks to Kristi Heather McLaughlin, M.P.H./M.S.W.,
Gaub, Susan Shapiro, and Kacey Kamala Deosaransingh, M.P.H., and
Hansen);the Policy,Action,Collabora- Jennifer Balogh,M.P.H./M.S.W.
tion and Training(PACT) for Violence The Prevention Program staff provided
Prevention Coalition;the Richmond Po- research, editorial support, and a lot of
lice Department(with special thanks to patience. Special thanks to Fidelito
S.P. Austin, Carolyn Gaspar; and Lieu- Cortes (primary editor), Susan T.
tenant Mike Tye),and Linda C.Moulton, Mashiyama (editing and design), Amy
Ph.D.,demographer,who was invaluable Hill, Susan Swift, Marianne Sullivan,
in providing denominator data for rate Carter Pratt,and Lupe Alcala.
calculations. The Prevention Program,located in the
We would like to thank the police de- San Francisco Greater Bay Area,is an in-
partments that provided us with data and terdisciplinary public health program
assistance: Antioch, BART (Bay Area that focuses on the prevention of vio-
Rapid Transit) Police Services, lence, childhood injuries, and chronic
Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Contra disease.Rather than creating new,stand-
Costa Community College District Po- alone programs,the Prevention Program
lice Services,East Bay Regional Park Dis- coordinates,cultivates,and links existing
trict,EI Cerrito,Hercules, Kensington, community resources in a systems-wide
Martinez, Moraga, Pinole, Pittsburg, approach. The Program has a national
Pleasant Hill, San Pablo, State of Cali- reputation for establishing and develop-
fornia Department of Parks and Recre- ing effective,health-related community
ation, Diablo District Rangers, and coalitions.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3
Methodology . .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . 5
Results and Analysis, Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Firearm Injuries and Deaths
in Contra Costa County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Age and Sex-specific Firearm Rates
for Assaults and Homicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Race/Ethnic-specific Rates for
Firearm Assaults and Homicides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by City and County Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Gun Caliber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
byGun Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Victim-Offender Relationship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Victim-Offender Relationship and Victim Sex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Victim-Offender Relationship and
Victim Race/Ethnicity . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Firearm Assault Rates by Victim Race/Ethnicity
and Offender Sex and Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Firearm Homicide Rates by Offender Sex
and Race/Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Shooting Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Shooting Circumstances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Table of Contents
Firearm Assaults by Shooting Circumstances Appendix E:Poverty,Unemployment,
and Victim Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 and Firearm Injuries by County Region . . . . . . E-1
Firearm Assaults and Homicides Appendix F:Firearm Assault Rates
by Shooting Circumstances and Victim Sex . . 30 by Victim Sex and Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . F-1
Firearm Homicides by Shooting Circumstances Appendix G:Firearm Homicide Rates
and Race/Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 by Victim Sex and Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1
Firearm Type and Shooting Circumstances . . . . . 31 Appendix H:Firearm Assault Rates
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Victim Age and Race/Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . H-1
by Month and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Appendix 1:Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates
Firearm Homicide Victims Testing Positive by City or Unincorporated Area . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
for Alcohol and Other Drugs Appendix J:Firearm Suicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1.
at the Time of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Appendix K.Firearm Suicides by City
Firearm Suicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 or Unincorporated Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K-1
Firearm Suicides by Victim Sex,Age, Appendix L:Unintentional Firearm Injuries . . . .. L-1
and Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Appendix M:Firearm Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . M-1
Firearm Suicides by Type of Gun . . .. . . . . . . . . . 36 Appendix N:Map of Contra Costa County . . . . N-1
Firearm Suicides by City and County Region. . . . 36
Firearm Suicides by Place of Shooting or
Place of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Firearm Suicides by Month and Season . . . . . . . . 37
Firearm Suicide Victims Testing Positive
for Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Unintentional Firearm Injuries and Deaths. . . . . . 38
Legally Justifiable Firearm Injuries
and Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Results and Analysis, Part II
Hospital Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .... . . . . 41
Firearm Injury Hospitalizations by
Type of Injury. . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Cost and Source of Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Receiving Hospitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Mode of Transport to Receiving Hospital. . . . . . . 43
Injury Severity Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Average Length of Stay. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . ... 45
Alcohol Involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... . .. . . . . .. . .. .. 47
References. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . .. . . .. .. . .. 49
Appendices
Appendix A:FIRST Project Reporting Forms. . . . A-1
Appendix B:CPC Charges
and UCR Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Appendix C:Firearm Injury Totals . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Appendix D:Firearm Injuries
by Intent and Victim Race/Ethnicityy . . . . . . . D-1
List of Figures
Methodology 26. Firearm Assaults by Time of Day . . . . . . . . . . 32
A. Data Sources for Identifying 27. Firearm Homicide Victims
Firearm Injuries by Intent Testing Positive for Alcohol/Other Drugs. . . 33
B. Variables Collected for the FIRST System. . . . 8 28. Self-Inflicted Firearm Injury Rates . . . . . . . . . 34
29. Firearm Suicide Rates
Results and Analysis, Part 1 by Victim Sex and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
1. Firearm Injuries and Deaths by Intent . . . . . . 14 30. Firearm Suicide Rates
2. Firearm Deaths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 by Victim Race/Ethnicity and Sex . . . . . . . . . 35
3. Nonfatal Firearm Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 31. Firearm Suicides by Gun Type. . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4. Firearm Injury Rates by Intent 32. Firearm Suicides by County Region . . . . . . . 36
and Outcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 33. Firearm Suicides
5. Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates by Place of Shooting/Place of Death. . . . . . . 37
by Victim Sex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 34. Firearm Suicides by Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6. Firearm Assault Rates 35. Firearm Suicide Victims
by Victim Sex and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Testing Positive for Alcohol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7. Firearm Homicide Rates 36. Firearm Unintentional Injury Rates
by Victim Sex and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 by Victim Sex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
8. Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates 37. Firearm Unintentional Injury Rates
by Victim's Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 by Victim Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
9. Firearm Homicide Rates
by Victim Race/Ethnicity and Victim Sex . . . 18 Results and Analysis, Part II
10. Firearm Assault Rates 38. Firearm Injury Hospitalizations
by Victim Age and Race/Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . 19 by Intent of Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
11. Firearm Assaults by County Region. . . . . . . . 20 39. Payment Sources
12. Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates for Firearm Hospitalizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
by County Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 40. Hospitalization Cost by Type of Injury. . . . . 43
13. Assaultive Violence Rate,Poverty Level 41. Receiving Hospitals for Firearm Victims . . . . 43
and Unemployment by Region . . . . . . . . . . . 21 42. Hospitalizations by AIS Score. . . . . . . . . . . . 44
14. Firearm Assaults by Gun Caliber. . . . . . . . . . 22 43. Hospitalizations by Intent and AIS . . . . . . . . 44
15. Firearm Homicides by Gun Caliber. . . . . . . . 22 44. Hospitalizations by AIS Score
16. Firearm Assaults by Gun Type . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 and Length of Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
17. Firearm Homicides by Gun Type. . . . . . . . .. 23 45. Hospitalizations by Average Length
18. Firearm Assaults and Homicides of Stay and Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
by Victim-Offender Relationship . . . . . . . . . 24 Appendices
19. Firearm Assaults by Victim-Offender
Relationship and Victim Sex . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 i. Lists of CPC Charges and
20. Firearm Homicides by Victim-Offender UCR Classifications that Potentially
Relationship and Victim Sex 25 Correspond with FIRST Classifications. . . . . B-2
p . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. Firearm Assaults and Homicides ii. Firearm Injury Totals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
by Shooting Location . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . 28 iii. Firearm Injuries by Intent and
22. Firearm Assaults and Homicides Victim Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
by Shooting Circumstances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 iv. Poverty and Unemployment
23. Firearm Assaults by Shooting by County Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
Circumstances and Victim Sex. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 v. Firearm Assault Rates and
24. Firearm Homicides by Shooting Numbers by County Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
Circumstances and Victim Sex. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 vi. Firearm Homicide Rates and Numbers
25. Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Month. . 32 by County Region . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
List of Figures
vii. Firearm Suicide Rates and Numbers
by County Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2
viii. Firearm Assault Rates
by Victim Sex and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1
ix. Firearm Homicide Rates
by Victim Sex and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1
X. Firearm Assault Rates
by Victim Age and Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . H-1
xi. Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates
by City or Unincorporated Area . . . . . . . . . I-1
xii. Firearm Assault Rates and Poverty
by City or Unincorporated Area(Map) . . . . 1-3
xiii. Firearm Assault Rates and Unemployment
by City or Unincorporated Area(Map) . . . . I-4
xiv. Firearm Suicides by Data Source . . . . . . . . . J-1
xv. Firearm Suicides by Victim Sex . . . . . . . . . . J-1
xvi. Firearm Suicides by Victim Race/Ethnicity. . J-1
xvii. Firearm Suicides by Victim Age and Sex . . . J-2
xviii.Firearm Suicides by City
or Unincorporated Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K-1
xix. Unintentional Firearm Injuries
by Outcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L-1
xx. Unintentional Firearm Injuries
by Victim Sex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L-1
xxi. Unintentional Firearm Injuries
by Victim Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L-1
xxii. Unintentional Firearm Injuries
by Victim Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L-2
xxiii.Two Types of Handguns(Diagram) . . . . . . M-2
xxiv. Types of Ammunition(Diagram) . . . . . . . . M-3
xxv. Contra Costa County(Map) . . . . . . . . . .. N-2
Executive Summary
The Firearm Injury Reporting,Surveil- with 20 law enforcement agencies, 11
lance, and Tracking (FIRST) Project hospitals and the county coroner, the
Report is the result of one of the first FIRST system was able to access and
firearm injury surveillance systems to be computerize most of the firearm injury
implemented in the United States. data available locally,analyze the data,
Funded by a one-year grant from the and synthesize these into information
State of California Emergency Medical that could.assist in violence prevention
Services Authority and published by the programming and firearm policy devel-
Contra Costa County Health Services opment.
Department,the"Profile of Firearm In- The FIRST Project not only engen-
juries and Deaths in Contra Costa dered a productive collaboration be-
County:A Report of the Firearm Injury tween local agencies, but supported
Reporting, Surveillance, and Tracking inquiry into areas that have until now
(FIRST) Project" describes the firearm remained largely unexamined, such as
injuries and deaths that occurred in the circumstances surrounding shootings,
county between July 1, 1993 and June victim-offender relationships,and types
30, 1994. of firearms used in homicides, self-in-
Two previous studies of childhood in- flitted and unintentional shootings.
jury and intentional injury,respectively,
had shown that firearm-related injuries Results and Analysis
are a serious problem in Contra Costa
County.From 1988-1990,firearms were Between July 1, 1993 and June 30,
the number one cause of injury death 1994, there were 613 firearm injuries
for children 10-14 years old in the and deaths in Contra Costa County.
c ounty,and contributed to one-third of This number includes 111 homicides
injury deaths for 10-19 year olds and 310 assaults.
(Balogh et al, 1992). Between 1988 to Young people ages 15-19 had the
1992, firearms were the number one highest firearm assault rate (137.1 per
weapon used in committing homicide, 100,000).Young adults ages 20-24 had
accounting for approximately 75%of all the highest firearm homicide rate(53.8
homicides in Contra Costa County per 100,000).
(Sullivan et at, 1994). Although the African American popu-
Funding forthe FIRST Project allowed lation comprised only 9.2% of the
the health department to investigate Contra Costa County population in
further the problem of firearm injuries. 1994, African Americans were victims
By establishing reporting relationships in 65.2%of the assaults and 64%of the
homicides. were more likely to be shot unintention-
The region with the highest rate of ally than other age groups. Young
assaultive firearm injury (assaults and people 10-14 years old had the highest
homicides combined)was West Contra unintentional firearm injury rate (14.9
Costa County (151.5 per 100,000). per 100,000), followed by 20-24 year
Among the four county regions, West olds(14.4 per 100,000)and 15-19 year
County also had the highest proportion olds(13.7 per 100,000).
of people living below the poverty level, Nearly two-thirds of victims hospital-
at 11.7% (1990 Census). ized for firearm injuries were uninsured
The three communities with the high- or used public insurance to pay hospi-
est firearm assault and homicide rates talization costs. Among gunshot pa-
were the unincorporated area of North tients,46.0%(n=217)were uninsured,
Richmond(1,193 per 100,000),and the 18.2% (n=86) used private insurance,
cities of Richmond(253.6 per 100,000) 16.3% (n=77) used public insurance
and San Pablo(175.6 per 100,000)—all (e.g., Medicare, Medi-Cal, Victim of
located in West Contra Costa County. Crime, Workers'Compensation, Basic
Similarly,these localities had high per- Adult Care), and 2.3% (n=11) used
centages of people living below the pov- other payment sources.
erty level (North Richmond, 52.8%; Firearm injuries were extremely costly.
Richmond, 16.1%;San Pablo, 19.0%). Hospitalization costs for firearm inju-
More than three-fourths of firearm ries totalled$5,329,599. Private insur-
homicides were committed with hand- ance paid$1.5 million,public insurance
guns(76.6%, n=85). $1.3 million,and$0.3 million was self-
Females were more likely than males paid or came from charity.
to be killed by a current or ex-spouse or Other data contained in the FIRST
lover.Both males and females were more Project Report include: age, sex and
likely to be assaulted-with a firearm by race/ethnic characteristics of firearm
acquaintances than by strangers. injury victims,types,and calibers of guns
Homicide victims were likely to be involved,relationships between victims
shot and killed by offenders of the same and offenders,circumstances and loca-
ethnic background. Among African tions of shootings, involvement of al-
American homicide victims, 57.7% cohol and other drugs, firearm injury
(n=41) were killed by African Ameri- severity scores, and average length of
cans.Among.Latino homicide victims, stay in hospitals.More than 60 graphs,
64.3% (n=9) were killed by Latinos. tables, maps, and diagrams were used
Among White homicide victims,52.4% to present the data in this report.
(n=11)were killed by Whites.Among
Asian/Other homicide victims, 50°x6
(n=2) were killed by Asians/Other. A
similar pattern of victims being shot by
offenders of the same race/ethnicitywas
found among firearm assault victims.
Suicides accounted for 25.5%of fire-
arm deaths in Contra Costa County.
The suicide rate for the total popula-
tion was 5.4 per 100,000. Central
County had the highest number
(35.6%,n=16)of firearm suicides in the
county.
Whites were more likely to commit
suicide with a firearm than any other
ethnic group. Whites accounted for
83.0% (n=39) of the total suicides.
White males had the highest suicide rate
(10.9 per 100,000) among all sex and
race/ethnic groups.
Children,teenagers,and young adults
u
2 The FIRST Project Report Executive Summary
11
Introduction
Firearm Violence: States,a young person between the ages
A National Epidemic of 10 and 19 was unintentionally shot
every 19 hours;committed suicide with
Violence is a critical public health a gun every 6 hours;and was murdered
problem in the United States. Firearm with a firearm every 3 hours.From 1979
violence accounts for an increasingly to 1993, the firearm homicide rate for
large proportion of the country's deaths young people between the ages of 15
and injuries. In 1991, a total of 38,317 to 19 increased by 61 percent, while
Americans died from gunshot wounds, homicide rates by all other methods for
a 60 percent jump from the 23,875 fire- the same age group.remained stable or
arm deaths recorded in 1968(Fingerhut decreased(Fingerhut, 1993).
et al, 1994). A recent study of a cross-section of
Counting deaths from firearms pro- youth attending urban, suburban, and
vides only a glimpse of the magnitude rural public and private schools indicates
of the firearm injury epidemic. For ev- that no young person is immune.Thirty
ery firearm death,researchers estimate five percent of the students surveyed
that there are 7.5 nonfatal firearm inju- believe that their chances of"living to a
ries (Wintemute et al, 1992). Accord- ripe old age will be cut short because of
ing to a recent study of nonfatal firearm the threat of being wiped out by guns
injuries,more than 150,000 Americans (Harris, 1993). The impact of firearm
are treated annually in hospital emer- injuries on African American males ages
gency departments for firearm injuries 15-19 is especially devastating.For this
(Annest et al, 1995). group,gun homicide has been the lead-
In 1991,firearm-related fatalities sur- ing cause of death since 1969
passed motor vehicle-related fatalities as (Fingerhut,1992).It is important to bear
the leading cause of injury death in in mind, however, that some research-
seven states,including California(Cen- ers have identified poverty,not race or
ter for Disease Control (CDC), 1994). ethnicity, as a primary contributor to
Unfortunately,this trend continues.In high rates of assaultive violence
1992,5,814 Californians died from fire- (Rosenberg and Mercy, 1991). Some
arm-related injuries, while 4,185 died racial or ethnic groups are at higher risk
from motor vehicle-related injuries for violence because poverty dispro-
(California Department of Health Ser- portionately affects communities of
vices(CA DHS), 1994). color.
Young people are particularly vulner- More than 210 million firearms are
able to firearm violence,both as victims currently in private hands in the United
and perpetrators.In 1990,in the United States(Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and
Firearms, 1991). According to the Pa- one (CA DHS, 1994). The following and 1991,motor vehicle-related deaths
cific Center for Violence Prevention year,firearms accounted for 80 percent decreased by 21 percent(CDC, 1994).
(1994), the manufacture and importa- of Contra Costa homicides(n=97)and As with motor vehicle-related injuries,
tion of handguns reached an all-time 43 percent of suicides(n=33).Firearms a variety of approaches to prevent fire-
high in 1992,Californians alone legally were used in 53.2 percent of suicides be- arm-related injuries are now being re-
purchased an average of 1,000 handguns tween 1988 and 1992 (Sullivan et al, searched, implemented and evaluated.
daily during that year. Research shows 1994). In 1994, there were 700 gun New public health strategies for reduc-
that people who have guns in their dealers in Contra Costa—more than the ing gun injuries and deaths, including
homes are at a much greater risk of ho- number of schools, groceries, gas sta- public information campaigns, gun
micide and suicide than people who do tions, and libraries combined (Contra safety education programs,and commu-
not keep guns in their homes Costa County Health Services Depart- nity organizing in support of initiatives
(Kellermann, 1992, 1993). Guns are ment Prevention Program, 1995). like local ordinances that regulate gun
marketed aggressively to women as a Contra Costa youth,like their national dealers,are emerging nationwide.Each
means of self protection, yet for every counterparts,are disproportionately af- of these approaches requires the collec-
time a woman used a handgun in 1992 fected by firearm-related homicides and tion and analysis of accurate and up-.to- i
to justifiably kill a stranger in self-de- unintentional shootings. From 1988 to date firearm injury data.
fense,239 females were killed in hand- 1990, gunshot wounds were the lead- Data are critical in assessing the extent
gun homicides(Violence Policy Center, ing cause of death for children between of firearm injuries and for developing j
1994). the ages of 10 and 14,and caused more appropriate programs and policies.With
Firearm injuries are not only traumatic than one-third of all deaths for 10 to 19 accurate data,public health practitioners
for victims and their loved ones, they year olds. During this period,gunshot can identify communities most at risk
are costly. In 1990, the societal cost of wounds accounted for more than 45 for gun violence,implement prevention
firearm injuries in the U.S.totaled 20.4 percent of injury deaths among African strategies,and evaluate the impact and
billion dollars(Max, 1993).Eighty per- American children, compared to 21.7 outcomes of their work. Data can also
cent of the medical cost of firearm inju- percent of injury deaths among white provide individuals and organizations
ries is paid by taxpayers (Wintemute, children(Balogh, 1992). that are involved in violence prevention
1992). The average cost of treating a Although California minors cannot with a better understanding of the risk
hospitalized gunshot wound patient is legally purchase guns or ammunition, factors for firearm injuries.
more than$33,000(Rice, 1989). Gun- incarcerated youth have reported how The urgent need for firearm data has
shot wounds are the single largest finan easily firearms can be acquired by juve- only recently been acknowledged by
cial drain on hospitals and trauma niles. This anecdotal information sup- public and private violence prevention
centers, which lose millions of dollars ports the finding of Shelley et al(1993), funding sources. The Pacific Center for
annually treating patients injured by who found that only a third of the ur- Violence Prevention cites numerous i
firearms(Wintemute, 1992). ban male students surveyed thought it data deficiencies and notes that more
would be a lot of trouble or nearly im- money is spent on newspaper adver-
Firearm Violence in possible to acquire a gun. tisements for and against gun control
Contra Costa County than on research on firearms and
A Public Health violence.Funding of the Firearm Injury
Contra Costa County(estimated 1994 Reporting, Surveillance, and Tracking
population: 874,693) is one of nine Approach to Reducing (FIRST)Project,which is in many ways
counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Firearm Violence a pioneer firearm data project, was
Ethnically and economically diverse,the significant because it indicates that grant
county is one of the fastest growing in The goal of public health is to reduce funders are paying more attention,and
the state.Population data for 1994 show morbidity and premature mortality. hopefully committing more resources,
that 67.5 percent of the county popula- Because injury is the leading cause of to local data efforts.
tion is White, 12.4 percent Latino, 10.7 death in the U.S. for people between The FIRST Project engendered a
percent Asian/Other, and 9.1 percent the ages of one and 44 (CDC, 1994), unique collaboration between law en-
African American.Twenty five percent public health efforts have for many years forcement agencies,hospitals,a county
of the population is under age 18.More focused on injury prevention, specifi- coroner,and divisions of a local health
than 7 percent of Contra Costans were cally on motor vehicle-related injuries. department. This collaboration sup-
living in poverty in 1990—among these, Efforts to prevent motor vehicle injuries ported inquiry into areas that have until
1 1.1 percent of children aged 0 to 17. have included programs and policies to recently remained largely unexamined,
Contra Costa firearm injury data, improve the safety features of motor such as circumstances surrounding
while following national trends,are even vehicles, ensure safer roadways, shootings, victim-offender relation-
more striking. In 1992, firearm injury promote safe driving practices,and up- ships, and types of weapons used in
deaths outnumbered motor vehicle grade emergency and hospital care.This homicides, suicides, assaults and unin-
deaths in the county by almost two to work has proved fruitful:between 1969 tentional shootings.
4 The FIRST Project Report Introduction
• i
i
Methodology
An Integrative Approach edge about local public health problems,
to Usln Local Data such as identifying populations at risk
g for violence.This in turn leads to an in-
The Firearm Injury Reporting,Surveil- crease in the department's capacity to
lance and Tracking(FIRST) Project of make informed decisions,such as devel-
the Contra Costa County Health Ser- oping appropriate violence interven-
vices Department(HSD)is one of only tions.
a few similar projects in the country that Data studies which use an integrative
have used multiple local data sources to approach often utilize data aggregated
examine injuries and deaths from fire- at the state or federal level. However,
arms. Using the FIRST system, data since these large data sets are created
from Contra Costa County law enforce- from summarized data of local agencies,
ment (police and sheriff) agencies, they lose much of the detail that the
hospitals,and the county coroner were original, local reports contained. The
aggregated and analyzed.An analysis of FIRST system broke new ground by
the.data from any single agency would acquiring data directly from local
have yielded an incomplete picture of agencies rather than using data aggre-
firearm injuries and deaths in the county, gated at the state level.Substantial time
but as a result of this cooperative project, and effort by both FIRST staff and
a comprehensive, countywide.profile agency staff were required to abstract
emerged. the desired data from the local agencies'
Traditionally, data sets are analyzed records,which were generally not com-
individually.However,recent advances puterized. However, this extra effort
in technology have made possible the resulted in a richness and completeness
of data that would otherwise have been
merging of information from separate difficult or impossible to acquire...In
sources, even at the local level. There addition, the connections established
are several advantages to using an inte- between the HSD and other agencies
grative approach to analyzing data.This strengthened the capacity of the HSD
approach provides a more complete pic- to conduct future targeted data studies
ture of the study's subject than would and learn about other local issues.
be possible by analyzing the sources Another potential advantage of using
separately. Also, such a data synthesis local data sources is that more current
achieves cost-efficiency because it re- data are available than can be acquired
lies on existing data sources.The result through state or federal sources. For
of such studies can enhance a health example,it is common to expect a one
department's capacity to acquire knowl- year lag time before data are available
d
from the state, whereas local data may lisped in the Profile, it was found that system collected data such as shooting
be available within a few months or even firearms accounted for 63.5%of all in- locations,types of firearms used,victim
immediately. Even before the analysis tentional injury deaths by mechanism demographics,severity of injuries,medi-
of all variables of FIRST data was com- in the county between 1988 and 1992. cal treatment costs,and morbidity and
pleted,the HSD could use the informa- Firearms were also the leading method mortality outcomes.
tion to examine trends and apply this of suicide(53.2%)during the same per- Data on socioeconomic status (SES)
knowledge to local prevention efforts. iod. are important to understanding patterns
However,completing the FIRST Project Recognizing that firearm injury was a of violence. Researchers have shown
Report did require significant time for public health problem locally,the HSD poverty to be a risk factor in homicide
steps such as gaining cooperation from and Childhood Injury Prevention Coa- (Loftin and Hill, 1974;Williams, 1984).
local agencies,abstracting data,and in- lition (CIPC) initiated efforts to study SES data were not routinely collected
tegrating multiple data sets(e.g.,remov- the nature and extent of firearm injuries by the reporting agencies in this study.
ing duplicate records). These factors and deaths within the county.Statewide However,FIRST staff developed a map
should be considered when planning data sets provided insufficient detail for using data from the FIRST system and
and implementing a similar study. developing a countywide picture of fire- the 1990 U.S. Census that shows the
arm injuries.Therefore,the first step was rates of firearm-related homicides,sui=
HSD's Efforts in Local to develop a model for abstracting and cides, and assaults by city of shooting,
aggregating relevant data from local along with percent below poverty and
Studies of Violence agencies. With significant input from percent unemployed, to illustrate the
and Firearms local law enforcement representatives, relationship between these variables.
the HSD and the CIPC conceptualized
The HSD Prevention Program was the the FIRST system. FIRST Methodology:
lead agency for several recent studies Shortly after the FIRST model was
employing an integrative approach to developed,the HSD Emergency Medi- Establishing Data
data analysis. In addition to the FIRST cal Services (EMS) Agency received Reporting Relationships
Project, two other studies (described funding for the project from the State
below) had also used multiple data of California Emergency Medical Ser- While data aggregated by state and
sources, but unlike the FIRST Project, vices Authority(Special Projects Grant federal agencies can be accessed with
these studies primarily used large data #EMS-2026, 2028). Discussions about little difficulty, inter-agency channels
sets aggregated at the state level, not how to implement'FIRST took place must be established in order to access
local data. among staff from EMS,CIPC, and the local data. In the FIRST Project, local
The Status Report on Childhood In- Prevention Program. The Prevention agencies that had never before shared
jury in Contra Costa County(Balogh, Program was designated as the FIRST their data with the Health Services De-
et al, 1992), established baseline data implementation site, and EMS and partment raised legitimate concerns re-
on childhood injury in the county.The CIPC agreed to provide advice and garding case confidentiality, what
Status Report used data from the Cali- oversight.This arrangement was based agency resources would be required for
forma Department of Health Services on: 1) the long-standing partnership participation,and how their data would
(CDHS) and a subset of information between EMS and the Prevention Pro- be used. FIRST staff worked with
from the Uniform Hospital Discharge gram; 2) the Prevention Program's re- agency staff on various organizational
Data Set (UHDDS) for hospitals in sponsibility for staffing CIPC;and 3)the levels to resolve these issues.Open com-
California.This report established that Program's successful history of imple- munication was essential to developing
from 1988 to 1990, firearms were the menting surveillance systems,analyzing common agreement between all the
leading cause of death for youths 10 to data,and developing countywide injury participants in the FIRST system. i
14 years old and the second leading prevention programs.' The unanimous,voluntary consent of
cause of injury death for children under The FIRST system compiled data on all reporting agencies to participate in
the age of 20. firearm injuries and deaths that occurred the FIRST Project was an acknowledge-
Another study,which was initiated af- between July 1, 1993 andjune 30, 1994. ment of the project's importance.Also,
ter the Status Report,was the Profile of Data on all gunshot wound victims in these agencies formed a virtual net for
Violent Injury (Sullivan et al, 1994). the county were collected and aggre- capturing the total scope of injuries and
This study analyzed violent injury(in- gated from three types of agencies in deaths by firearms in the county. Had
cluding domestic violence and suicide) the county:law enforcement(police and any agency refused to participate,cases
as it affected all age groups and sheriff),hospitals(including the county would have slipped through the net,and
ethnicities. Like the Status Report,this trauma center),and the coroner. Infor- the resulting profile of firearm injuries
study used CDHS and UHDDS data mation was obtained about all gunshot in the county would have been less com-
and,additionally,data from the Califor- injuries, whether intentional (e.g., as- plete.
nia justice Department and the Contra saults,homicides,suicides)or uninten- The cooperative agreement with the
Costa County Coroners Office.As pub- tional (i.e., "accidents'). The FIRST coroner's office was relatively easy to se-
6 The FIRST Project Report Methodology
cure because close ties had already been injury investigation. For example, the den or unusual deaths or deaths in which
established with the HSD.Additionally, coroners office was the best data source the deceased was not attended by a phy-
since the coroner's data are computer- for the identification of all deaths,while sician in the last 20 days. Thus, the
ized,data were transmitted to the FIRST law enforcement was the expert on as- coroner's records were used as the au-
system with little difficulty.In contrast, sault cases and hospitals were best at col- thority on the total number of deaths
accessing police and hospital data lecting data on unintentional injuries. caused by firearms.
proved to be much harder.In most cases, (See figure A for data sources and their The fatalities identified in the coroners
data were not computerized and had to areas of expertise in firearm injuries.) data were cross-checked in law enforce-
be manually abstracted by police offic- Similarly, each agency differs in the ment and hospital data sets to catch any
ers, nurses, and FIRST staff. New rela- list of variables it collects.For example, fatalities missed by data abstractors in
tionships were developed by FIRST staff only hospitals collected data on length these two data sets. Law enforcement
with each participating law enforcement of hospital stay and method of pay- agencies and hospitals contain variables
agency(n=20)and hospital(n=t t)that ment, whereas only law enforcement not collected or computerized by the
responded to shooting incidents in the agencies collected information on the coroner(such as circumstances of shoot-
county.Ultimately,protocols for iden- victim-offender relationship.(See figure ingorlength of hospital stay),and these
tifying and reporting firearm injuries B for data variables collected by each variables were used to supplement the
were established for each law enforce- reporting agency). coroner's data in the FIRST system's
ment department and hospital. Certain data variables were common analysis of fatalities due to gunshot
to all reporting agencies.Data for these wounds.
Classification of Data: variables were pooled and used to cal-
culate overall incidence rates. Because Law Enforcement Data
Overview of the possibility of overlapping data
In aggregating data from different when using multiple data sets (for ex- Collection
sources,a common classification system ample, a hospital record and a police Twenty Contra Costa County law en-
must be established.The FIRST system record may exist for the same victim), forcement agencies reported data to the
classified intent of injury or death in the care was taken to identify and eliminate FIRST system. The primary source of
following categories:homicide,assault, duplicate records before analysis. local law enforcement data for the
completed suicide, attempted suicide, FIRST system was the crime offense re-
fatal or nonfatal unintentional injury, Coroner Data Collection Port,a full report of a crime on file with
legally justified fatality,legally justified each law enforcement agency. In addi-
nonfatal injury,and fatal or nonfatal in- The coroner's office made available to tion to a standard,one-page form,these
jury by undetermined intent.This clas- FIRST staff its computerized data on all reports can include dozens of supple-
sification scheme was based on deaths that were reported in Contra mental pages,depending on the serious-
traditional health and law enforcement Costa County(including deaths of non- ness of the crime and availability of
categories. county residents).The coroner records information. An.offense report must
Because each reporting agency has its all deaths related to trauma(e.g.,motor contain descriptions of the offense(s),
own existing categorization system for vehicle-related, drowning, homicide, victim(s), suspect(s), and witness(es)
data, information of interest to the suicide,gunshot-related),including sud- involved in a crime.They are often ac-
FIRST system had to be
identified and re-categorized
according to FIRST classi-
fications. For example, law Data Sources for Identifying Firearm Injuries by Intent
enforcement agencies Cate-
gorize reports according to
type of crime, not by injury.
In order to access data of ata 5au GHamteidea Asseutts Suicides Sl� 6Uut��prl1 other
�Y a a lnlite+� .. 2
interest to the FIRST Project,
.....¢'°t w ro.T .n.
a list was developed of crime A
codes that might involve a LawT expert ,
g �rtareem�: -
firearm injury (e.g., rob-
beries,
ob bevies assaults etc.) and this Sheriff expert expert experlt
list was used to identify law Coroner �r x
enforcement reports with
otentiall relevant data. iasptials expert .....
PY
Each reporting agency has
its own area of expertise and
set of protocols for firearm Figure A
Methodology The FIRST Project Report 7
Variables Collected for the FIRST System
coroner law enforcement hospitals trauma center
age x x x x
sex x x x x
ethnicity x x x x
city where shooting/death x x
occurred
firearm type x x
caliber of firearm x x
drug use/alcohol use x x x*
suspect sex, age, and x
ethnicity
location of shooting/death x x
(victim's home,other
residence, hospital, victim's
workplace, school, etc.)
month of shooting x x x** x**
time of shooting x x*** x***
circumstances of shooting x
(argument, drive-by, etc.)
victim-offender x
relationship
length of hospital stay x x
outcome of firearm injury x x x x
(death vs. survival) (all deaths)
cost of treatment x x
payment source x x
injury severity x
(abbreviated injury
severity code)
hospital taken to x x x
Victim's zip code x x x
injury intent
(assault, homicide, etc.) x x x x
law enforcement x x
jurisdiction
alcohol use only **admit month ***admit time
Figure 8
8 The FIRST Project Report Methodology
companied by supplemental reports, firearm injuries.Law enforcement agen- tem was again used as a guide for iden-
which may include details about crime cies then used these classification lists tifying relevant offense reports,and the
scenes, interviews with victims, wit- to search their records and ascertain individual offense reports were used in
nesses,and suspects,and forensic infor- which reports fell into these classifica- abstracting data onto the FIRST report-
mation about victims or evidence. tions. For more information on CPC ing forms.
While many departments computer- charges, UCR classifications, and the Reporting was a laborious process for
ize specific data on homicides, lists developed by the FIRST system to law enforcement personnel,who often
information on all other crimes is com- search for reports of shooting incidents, needed to review case files to abstract
puterized on a limited basis or not at please see Appendix B. the desired information. FIRST staff
all. Consequently, law enforcement filled out reporting forms for the two
agencies were asked to provide data to Data Reporting departments with the highest numbers
the FIRST system by abstracting data Arrangements of firearm injuries. Because of limited
from the offense report onto a one-page staff resources, these two law enforce-
FIRST reporting form for each firearm Departments agreed to report gunshot ment agencies would not have been able
injury incident.This reporting form was injuries on a monthly basis with a one to participate in the FIRST Project with-
based on the format of offense reports month lag time(e.g.,July reports were out this assistance.
and modeled on forms used in other sur- submitted by the first of September).
veillance projects.(For a sample of this This lag time was necessary because . Suicides and
form,please see Appendix A.) pertinent case information was often Unintentional Injuries
Department crime and "calls-for- unavailable for a month(sometimes be-
service"logs,which contain basic infor cause:it was part of an active crime in- In both the CPC and UCR classifica-
mation about the incidents to which vestigation);full case details sometimes tion systems,suicides and unintentional
police respond,were often used to iden- were not available for many months. injuries are not considered crimes and
tify the relevant offense reports for data Various data reporting arrangements thus were not assigned a crime classifi-
abstraction. In other cases, FIRST re- were made with law enforcement de- cation.Although one department could
ports might have been filled out when partments which were dictated by fac- do a computer search for suicides,most
police officers reviewed offense reports ton such as department size,resources departments had little capability for
for compiling a monthly statistical re- available,and department record-keep- identifying suicides and unintentional
port, known as the Uniform Crime ing protocols. injuries.These incidents are often clas-
Report(UCR) summary,which is sub- For some small departments,gunshot sified in broad categories which include
mitted to the State Department of' wound incidents occurred infrequently, many types of reports, such as "unex-
Justice. and a FIRST report was filled out as soon plained deaths" or "miscellaneous." In
as an officer responded to an incident. order to ensure more complete informa-
Law Enforcement Other departments kept a list of gun- tion on these cases, the coroner and
Classification Systems shot wound incidents as they occurred hospital records were analyzed for miss-
and periodically filled out FIRST forms. ing or supplemental suicide and unin-
Crimes are classified by police and Larger departments searched through tentional firearm injury data. The
sheriff agencies in two ways:according their logs daily or monthly to identify coroner's expertise on fatal cases was
to California Penal Code (CPC) offense reports that potentially involved relied upon to identify fatal suicides and
charges, which are recorded on the firearm injuries. Since log entries may the hospitals'expertise was used to iden-
offense reports; and according to the contain CPC charges, UCR classifica- tify unintentional injuries and nonfatal
U.S. Department of Justice, Federal tions,and/or general descriptions of the (attempted)suicides.Analysis of coro-
Bureau of Investigation UCR classifi- crime committed, the list of CPC and ner and hospital data revealed that many
cations, which are used in the UCR UCR classifications developed by the suicides and unintentional shootings
summaries produced each month by FIRST Project was used to search the were not identified by law enforcement
each law enforcement agency.The CPC logs. The individual offense reports agencies.In the case of fatal suicides,it
charges describe all crimes, including were then individually reviewed to de- was found that nearly half of the vic-
those not involving firearms.The UCR termine if a gunshot wound had oc- tims identified in the coroners data were
classifications describe eight types of curred. A FIRST reporting form was not identified in law enforcement
crimes. Thus, neither of these classi- then completed for each gunshot wound records.
fication systems provided readily incident.
accessible information regarding firearm Other departments filled out FIRST Hospital Data Collection
injuries. reporting forms at the same time that
In order to identify all potential reports they went through their offense reports After establishing relationships with
of shooting victims, FIRST staff devel- to re-classify and compile statistics for each of the eight hospitals in Contra
oped a listing of both CPC charges and the monthly UCR summary.The CPU Costa County and three selected neigh-
UCR categories which might involve UCR list developed for the FIRST sys- boring hospitals in Alameda County,the
Methodology The FIRST Project Report 9
FIRST system was able to collect infor- use of a firearm. The E codes included and a hospital. However, if police are
mation on all firearm injury patients(in- were: 1)Unintentional injury:Accident not called to respond to a shooting and
cluding those wounded by BB, pellet, caused by firearm missile (E922.0- the gunshot wound victim does not seek
and air guns) treated during the study E922.3, E922.8, E922.9); 2) Suicide: hospital care,which is much more likely
year.Because a small number of gunshot Suicide and self-inflicted injury by fire- for minor wounds,no record of the in-
wound victims are transported out of arm(E955.0-E955.4);3)Assault:Assault cident would exist.
Contra Costa County for treatment,ei- by firearm and explosives (E965.0- Because of the nature of firearm inju-
ther to avoid police involvement or be- E965.4);4) Legally justified firearm in- ries,most victims will seek hospital care,
cause the county's trauma center is jury: Injury due to legal intervention even if police are not called to the scene.
unable to accommodate additional with firearm (E970); and 5) Undeter- State law requires hospitals to contact
cases, FIRST secured the participation mined firearm injury:Injury by firearm, police if agunshotwound patient arrives
of three neighboring, out-of-county undetermined whether accidentally or without an ambulance or police escort.
hospitals.These three hospitals,located purposely inflicted(E985.0-E985.4). If,as happens occasionally,hospital staff
in the city of Oakland,were:Children's Records were checked for duplicates fail to call the police as required, or if
Hospital,Highland Hospital,and Kai- between the two data sets in order to the police are called but do not com-
ser Oakland.All the participating hos- avoid counting a gunshot injury victim plete a report, no police record will be
pitals reported data from July 1, 1993 twice (e.g., a victim initially admitted filed.Some victims may opt for on-the-
through June 31, 1994,with the excep- to one of the ten hospitals could be sta- scene treatment only,which will not be
tion of Doctors Hospital,which began bilized and then transferred to JMMC documented in hospital records.Finally,
reporting on October 31, 1993,and Los for treatment). No duplicates were Contra Costa gunshot wound victims
Medanos Hospital, which stopped re- found.Gunshot injuryvictims shot out- may be transported by friends or family
porting when it closed on April 12, side of Contra Costa County were re- members to hospitals in neighboring
1994. moved from the analysis. Common counties in order to avoid police in-
Except forJohn Muir Medical Center variables in both data sets were stan- volvement. If hospital staff and police
(JMMC),which collects data on trauma dardized in order to combine both data are not able to determine the true loca-
patients, non-trauma walk-ins, and sets into one file for analysis of hospital tion of the shooting,this patient would
victims of BB and pellet gun shootings, data. not be classified as a Contra Costa vic-
none of the participating hospitals tim.Discussions with staff from hospi-
maintain computerized emergency Missing Cases tals,law enforcement and EMS revealed
department and hospital discharge that these types of situations are rare.
databases. Therefore, FIRST staff was The FIRST system's net of reporting
able to obtain specific data fields from agencies may not have captured every Re-classification of
JMMC's databases in a computerized file nonfatal gunshot wound victim in the
on diskette.The other hospitals used a county (coroner data ensured that Duplicate Records
one-page FIRST reporting form to FIRST data included all gunshot wound
abstract data about gunshot wound deaths).Thus,the FIRST system results In cross-referencing the coroner's data
with law enforcement data,it was found
patients from emergency room logs. may include an underestimation of fire-
(For a sample of this form, please see arm injuries in the county. that among the cases classified by the
coroner as homicides,only 5.1%
Appendix A.) Some hospitals had A reporting system such as the FIRST la
sufficient resources to abstract addi. system can expect some degree of were classified differently in thee w
law
tional information from patient records. underreporting(missed cases). For in- enforcement data set:3.4%(.9% were
The FIRST Project was fortunate to stance, police may miss incidents that classified as legally justified,0.9%(n=1)
obtain the help of two nurses from are misclassified or termed "miscella- was classified as undetermined, and
JMMC to assist three other participating neous in their records. Hospital staff 0.9%(n=1)was classified as fatal unin-
hospitals with data collection. may miss cases in which firearm injury tentional injury.These six cases were re-
Hospital data were originally con- victims' wounds are misdiagnosed in classified for the FIRST system
tained in two separate data sets, one emergency department logs. (EMS's according to law enforcement catego-
containing data for the ten hospitals and computerized Trauma Base Log,which ries because these categories allowed for
one containing data for JMMC.These lists victims transported by ambulances a broader range of classifications than
data sets were then combined into one to hospitals, provided an additional did the coroners categories. For ex-
"hospital"data set. Analyses of JMMC means of checking hospital reporting.) ample, the coroner has no category of
trauma registry patient data were con- Although resources did not permit "legally justified death."
ducted only for patients who were as- FIRST staff to conduct audits of agency Upon cross-referencing the hospital
signed codes under the International logs to determine how often agencies data set with the law enforcement data
Classification of Diseases(ICD)exter- missed cases, it is unlikely that many set, it was found that of the total cases
nal cause-of-injury and poisoning serious cases would have escaped report- (n=112) classified as undetermined by
scheme (E codes) which involved the ing by both a law enforcement agency hospitals,26.8%(n=30)were also con-
10 The FIRST Project Report Methodology
tained in the law enforcement data set sets were identified and removed.
but were under different classifications. Records were identified as duplicates if
Law enforcement classified 27 of these they matched on victim age, sex;race/
cases as assaults,two as homicides,and ethnicity,the intent of injury,and if ap-
one as an unintentional injury. Because plicable,zip code,name of hospital and
law enforcement protocols often involve date of admission. Cases identified as
more investigation and result in a more possible duplicate records were matched
detailed description of a gunshot inci- on additional variables to ensure that
dent than hospitals,the 30 cases classi- they were in fact duplicate records.
fied by hospitals as undetermined were Data entry and analyses of law en-
re-classified according to law enforce- forcement, coroner, and hospital data
ment categories.Additionally,one case were conducted using Epi-Info 5.0, a
classified as an unintentional injury by program developed by the Centers for
hospitals was classified in the law en- Disease Control and Prevention, and
forcement data set as an assault. This SPSS/PC+ 4.0 (Statistical Package for
case was re-classified according to law the Social Sciences).
enforcement categories for similar rea The law enforcement data set con-
sons. tained 469 records, and the coroners
After re-classification, a substantial data set contained 158 records. The
proportion (13.8%, n=86) of firearm combined hospital data set contained a
injuries and deaths in Contra Costa total of 472 records;the data set for the
County were still classified as undeter- ten hospitals had 243 patient records,
mined.The majority of these cases were and the John Muir Medical Center data
found in the hospital data set (94.3%, contained 229 patient records. John
n=82), whereas only four cases were Muir Medical Center data contained
found to be classified as undetermined variables unique to trauma data (e.g.,
in the law enforcement data file(these injury severity measured by the Abbre-
four cases were unique to this data set). viated Injury Severity(AIS)score),and
The coroner's records had no firearm therefore these variables were analyzed
deaths of undetermined intent. separately.
Undetermined cases found in the hos- Analysis consisted of frequencies and
pital data were largely abstracted from cross tabulations on variables relevant
emergency room logs.In the emergency to injury surveillance.
room, when the cause of a firearm in-
jury is unknown(or because the patient Calculating Incidence
can't or won't disclose the cause), the
injury is classified as undetermined. A Rates for Injury
hospital staff's primary concern is the Classification
treatment of the gunshot injury rather
than determining the intent with which After duplicate records were removed
the injury was inflicted.Therefore,the from the data sets, the resulting totals
substantial number of undetermined for injury intent were used as numera-
firearm injuries may represent an under- tors to calculate firearm injury incidence
estimation of specific injury classifica- rates for 1994.
tions(e.g.,assault,unintentional). Firearm injury and death incidence
rates were calculated by intent of injury
Data Analysis (e.g., homicide, assault, suicide, unin-
tentional injury,legally justified injury
After the FIRST data had been col- and undetermined injury), in addition
lected and entered,records were edited to intent of injury by sex, age, race/
for completeness and accuracy. When ethnicity, sex and ethnicity, age and
information was missing or incorrect ethnicity.Population estimates for 1994,
(e.g., a non-existent zip code was re- were calculated using estimates from
corded), the original reporting agency 1990 and the year 2000,obtained from
was contacted to correct the record. the California Finance Department.
Records in one data set that were du-
plicated in one or both of the other data
Methodology The FIRST Project Report 11
Results .and Analysis, Part
Firearm Injuries and Deaths in Contra
Costa County
From July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1994,a
total of 613 injuries and deaths from
firearms were reported by the 20 local
law enforcement agencies, the county Firearm Injuries and Deaths by Intent
coroner's office,and the eleven hospitals contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
participating in the Firearm Injury
Reporting, Surveillance, and Tracking Total (N=613)
(FIRST)System. (See figure 1.)Of the
613 firearm injuries and deaths,68.7%
(n=421) were assaultive, 8.2% (n=50)
Undetermined =65
were unintentional, 7.7°x6 (n=47)were Assaultive =421 (13.9%)
self-inflicted, 1.6%(n=10)were legally (68•7%)
justified, and 13.9% (n=85) were of I e9aliyJustie) =10
undetermined intent. (1 =
1111 Unintentionall =50
There was a total of 157 deaths from (e2%)
firearm injury. Seventy point seven
Sett-Inflicted =47
percent (70.7%, n=11 1) were homi- (7,7%) r
cides, 25.5% (n=40) were suicides,
FIRST SWdy,Prevention Program:Law enforcement,coroner hosprai,John Muir Medica]Center data
2.5% (n=4) were legally justified, and
1.3% (n=2) were unintentional. (See
figure 2.) Figure 1
There was a total of 456 nonfatal
firearm injuries: 68.0% (n=310) were
t
assaults, 10.5% (n=48) were uninten-
tional, 1.5% (n=7) were self-inflicted
1.3% (n=6) were legally justified, and Firearm Deaths
the remaining 18.6% (n=85) were of Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
undetermined intent.(See figure 3.) j
n=157
Firearm Injury Rates
For every fatal firearm injury, three Homicide =111 (70.7%) Log.Jude =4 (2.5%)
nonfatal firearm injuries occurred.The nintentional =2(1.3%)
death rate from all firearm injuries in
Contra Cost County for the study year,
17.8 per 100,000, exceeded the 1994 Suicide =40 (25.5%)
California firearm death rate of 10.3 per
100,000 and the 1992 national death
rate of 14.8 per 100,000. FIRST SU*,Prevention"ram:Law enforcement daft
Firearm injury rates were calculated by
intent of injury,e.g.whether the injury Figure 2
was an assault, homicide, suicide,
unintentional, legally justified, or injuries and deaths (1.1 per 100,000). the lowest among the four race/ethnic
undetermined injury.Assaults accounted (See figure 4.) categories. Latinos had the second
for the highest rate, 35.4 per 100,000, The African American firearm injury highest rate(69.3 per 100,000);Asians/
followed by homicides (12.7 per rate, fatal and nonfatal (417.8 per Other had a firearm injury rate of 26.7
100,000), unintentional injuries (fatal 100,000), exceeded all race/ethnic per 100,000. Race/ethnic-specific
and nonfatal; 5.7 per 100,000), self- groups. This is about sixteen times firearm death rates were highest for
inflicted injuries(fatal and nonfatal;5.4 higher than the firearm injury rate for African Americans (90.8 per 100,000),
per 100,000), and legally justified Whites,which at 25.9 per 100,000 was followed by Latinos(14.8 per 100,000),
14 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part 1
Whites (7.5 per 100,000), and Asians/
Other(5.3 per 100,000).'
Age and sex stratification by race/
ethnic group revealed that African Nonfatal Firearm Injuries
American males ages 20-24 exceeded all contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
other age-sex-ethnic groups in their
rates of firearm injury and death for all n=ass
intents for the study year(1,298.2 per
100,000 and 1,027.2 per 100,000,
respectively).
Assault =310 (6a.0%)
Hospitalization Outcome etermined _85(18.6%)
For all firearm injury victims, 80.4%
(n=379)lived,while only 12.1%(n=57) Legafl Justftd =e(1.3%)
died.For 7.6%(n=36),the outcome was. senannl�tad = pint tions =48 (10.5%)
reported to be unknown or the informa-
tion was missing.
FIRST Study;PmwnWn PMnun:Law entoreement data
Data Sources' Ability to Figure 3
Capture Firearm Injuries
and Deaths .
There was a total of 613 ascertained Firearm Injury Rates by Intent and Outcome
cases of firearm injuries and deaths. .contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
Eighty-.eight point five percent of the n=528
Rate per 100,000
157 fatal firearm injuries and 71.6%of 40.0
the 456 nonfatal firearm injuries were 4 ONonfatal Fatal
identifiable from police records.Sixty- 300 _ _ _ - _ _ - - _
eight point five percent of the nonfatal
and 28.26/6"6f the fatal firearm injuries
were identifiablefrom hospital data 20.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(hospitali'zation records and emergency
department records). For fatal firearm 12.7
injuries, coroner data were.theonly 10.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
source from.which 100% of the cases 4.8 4.8
could be identified.Police records were 0.8 0.2 0.8 0.5
almost as comprehensive as coroner o,0 Assaultive SeHlnflicted Unintentional Legally Justified
data, recording 88.5% of the fatal n=421 n=47 n=so n=to
FIRST Study,Pnmntlon Pmgmm:Law entonmrnon%oomner,hosplwl,John Muir Medical Center data
firearm injuries.Police records identified
71.5% of the total nonfatal firearm Figure 4
injuries and were better than emergency
room records or hospital records for the
identification of nonfatal cases(46.8%
and 43.9%, respectively). However,
when hospitalization data and emer-
gency room data were combined,they
identified 91% of nonfatal injuries.
(Note: It should be mentioned that
because reliability checks were not
conducted to determine the accuracy
of the reporting of firearm injuries and
deaths by hospital staff and police _
departments to the FIRST System,some
cases may have been overlooked during
data abstraction.)
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 15
Age and Sex-specific Firearm Rates for
Assaults and Homicides
Adolescents and young adults are at
highest risk for firearm assault and
homicide.Adolescents and adults 15-24 Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates by Victim Sex
years old accounted for over half of the Contra costa county,July t,1993-Jure 30,t 994
total assaults(51.1%)in which age was Rate Per 100,000
reported. For the study year, the age-
mMale OFemale
specific assault rate was highest for those
m _ _ _ _ _ _ _
between the ages of 15 and 19 (137.1 64'4
per 100,000), followed by 20-24 year 00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
olds (136.4 per 100,000). The firearm 50 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
assault rate decreased by more than half
40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
for ages 25-29 and further decreased for ,
every age group 30 years and older.The 30 " " " - - - - - - " " " - -222 " " " " " - "
age-specific homicide rate was highest
for young adults ages 20-24 years(53.8 e
per 100,000), followed by 25-29 year 10 31 -
- - - -
olds(30.6 per 100,000), 15-19 year olds ° ,assault Homicide
(27.4 per 100,000)and 30-34 year olds
(25.1 per 100,000). FIRST S".ProwmmnPmgmm:Law«,bte«nxdaeft
Males in Contra Costa County were
more likely than females to be victims Figure 5
of firearm assaults and homicides.The A differential also exists between These rates decreased by almost half for
male assault rate was 64.4 per 100,000 national homicide rates for males and age groups 25-29 years and older.
and the female assault rate was 8.2 per females(Mercy, 1993). a
100,000. Men were therefore eight17
Females ages 15-19 had the highest a
times more likely to be victims of firearm Age and Sex firearm assault rate(14.3 per 100,000),
assault than women.This sex differential while females 30-34 years old had the
was also apparent for homicide, with When assaultive violence is examined highest homicide rate (11.4 per
males nearly six times more likely than further by both age and sex,males ages 100,000). (See figures 6 and 7. See
females to be victims of firearm 20-24 had the highest rates of firearm Appendices F and G for tables of rates.)
homicide(22.2 per 100,000 and 3.8 per assault and homicide(253.6 per 100,000
100,000, respectively). (See figure 5.) and 100.0 per 100,000, respectively).
1
•v
i
1
1i
16 The FIRST Project,Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm,Assault Rates by Victim Sex and Age
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=310
300 ate per 100,000
250 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
150 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
50 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B
0 4 25-29 3034-35,19 40 44 45.0 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74
Age Group
First Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement data
Figure 6
Firearm Homicide Rates by Victim Sex and Age
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=111
120 Rate per 100,000
100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
80 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
60 - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0
0-04 5-09 10-714 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74
Age Group
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement data
Figure 7
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 17
------------
Race/Ethnic-specific Rates for Firearm
Assaults and Homicides
Although the African American
population comprised only 9.2%of the
total Contra Costa population in 1994, Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates by Victim's Race/Ethnicity
African Americans were victims of Contra Costa County,Juy1,1993-June 30,1994
65.2% of the assaults and 64% of the n=421
homicides experienced in Contra Costa Race per 100,000
County for the study year. African - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -oAssauRHomicide
Americans had the highest assault and „, 251.2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
homicide rates(251.2 per 100,000 and - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
88.3 per 100,000, respectively). (See '°° - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - " - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
figure 8.) Latinos comprised 12.4% of ,,, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
the population and accounted for 12.6% _ _ _
of all assaults and homicides.Latinos had ,0 -8e.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
the second highest assault and homicide b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - a
rates (36.0 per 100,000 and 12.9 per b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - is- - - -
100,000, respectively). Asians/Other, m t2.9 _ - �.s - 3.s 4.3-
a
who comprised 11%of the population, African American Lejno whim Asian/Other
had assault and homicide rates of 16.0 Race/Ethnicity
per 100,000 and 4.3 per 100,000, FIRST Study.Praysntlon Program:Law anbm
reemrt data
respectively.Whites,who made up 68%
of the population, had assault and Figure 8 .
homicide rates of 8.5 per 100,000 and
3.6 per 100,000, respectively. The
African American firearm assault rate Firearm Homicide Rates by Victim Race/Ethnicity and Victim Sex
Contra Costa CourlyJuy1,1993-June 30,1994
was approximately seven times the
Rate per 100,000 n=111
Latino rate and thirty times that of -A
Whites, who had the lowest firearm 180.0i68.9- -
0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Male oremale !
-
assault rate.
180.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When assaults and homicides were
combined,African American males were 100 -
thirteen times more likely to be a victim 12010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
o f assaultive firearm violence than 100.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
White males (349.4 per 100,000 and 00.0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
26.4 per 100,000 respectively). Latino
males had the second highest rate of 1
firearm assaults and homicides com- '0° -
21s
bined(97.4 per 100,000), followed by 1- _ _ _ ss l
Ano - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4.9 - - - -
Asian/Other males(41.1 per 100,000), oa African American
Latino AsiaNOther White
and White males(26.4 per 100,000). Race/Ethnicity
FIRST Serdy,Prwwdbn Program:Law enforcamerd data
Sex and Race/Ethnicity
Figure 9
All race/ethnic-gender groups had
higher assault rates than homicide rates, figure 9.) These rates were followed by 14.1 per 100,000,and homicide,4.9 per
except for Latino females, who were Latino males(assault,68.5 per 100,000, 100,000). Latino females had a firearm 4
twice as likely to be killed than assaulted and homicide, 21.6 per 100,000), homicide rate of 3.8 per 100,000 and a
with a firearm.The assault and homicide African American females(assault,68.5 firearm assault rate of 1.9 per 100,000.
rate of African American males was per 100,000, and homicide, 16.8 per White females had an assault rate of 3.3
higher than any other race/ethnic- 100,000), Asian/Other males (assault, per 100,000 and a homicide rate of 2.3
gender group (467.1 per 100,000 and 30.3 per 100,000,and homicide,6.5 per per 100,000. Asian/Other females had
168.9 per 100,000, respectively). (See 100,000), and White males (assault, an assault rate of 2.0 per 100,000 and a
18 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I i
Firearm Assault Rates by Victim Age and Race/Ethnicity
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=310
1000 Rate per 100,000
900 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
800 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
700 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - -
600 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
500 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
400 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
300 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - -
200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0 11 A
0-04 5-0910-1415-19.20-2425-2930-3435-394044454950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7475-79
Age Group
1-�-African American -e-Latino -x-Asian/Other -*-Wh7fte]
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement and coroner data
Figure 10
homicide rate of 2.0 per 100,000. African-Americans ages 20-24 had the ethnic groups.Latino males ages 15-19
highest homicide rate (400.7 per (311.2 per 100,000) had the highest
Age and Race/Ethnicity 100,000) of all age-ethnic groups. assault rate among all non-African
Among Latinos,35-39 year olds had the American males. Among females of all
African Americans ages 20-24 had the highest homicide rate (51.9 per age-ethnic groups, African American
highest assault rate(865.4 per 100,000) 100,000); among Asians/Other, 15-19 females ages 15-19 had the,highest
among all age-race/ethnic groups, year olds had the highest homicide rate assault rate(213.8 per 100,000).
followed by African Americans 15-19 (27.8 per 100,000);and among Whites, African-American males ages 20-24
years old (812.6 per 100,000). (See 25-29 year olds had the highest had the highest homicide nate (742.1
figure 10. See Appendix H for table of homicide rate(10.2 per 100,000). per 100,000) among all age-sex-race/
rates.) ethnic groups.Latino males ages 30-34
Among Latinos, young Latinos ages Age, Race/Ethnicity had the highest homicide rate(78.0 per
15-19 had the highest assault mte(175.7 and Sex 100,000) among all non-African
per 100,000).Among Asians/Other and American males.Among females of all
Whites, those ages 25-29 had the African Arnefican males 20-24 years age-ethnic groups, African American
highest assault rates(86.0 per 100,000 old had the highest assault rate(1,613.3 females ages 20-24 had the highest
and 20.3 per 100,000,respectively). per 100,000) among all age-sex-race/ homicide rate(63.7 per 100,000).
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 19
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by City
and County Region
Assault
Assault and homicide rates were Firearm Assaults by County Region
calculated for cities(incorporated areas) contra costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
and unincorporated areas in Contra
Costa County.The majority of firearm n=310
assaults occurred in the city of central
4.5%
Richmond (60.3%), which is part of
West Contra Costa County.The unin- ? East
corporated area of North Richmond, 1x.196
also in West County, had the highest K
firearm assault rate(553.9 per 100,000), southo% j
followed by Richmond (201.8 per
100 000),the city of San Pablo in West
County(126 per 100,000),the unincor-
porated area of Rodeo in West County West
(52.6 per 100,000),the unincorporated 79.396
area of Bay'Point in East County(51.6
per 100,000), the city of Pittsburg in FlRWS",PrewntbnPMramtewonbrcennMdata
East County(37.4 per 100,000),and the
city of Antioch in East County(22.1 per Figure 11
100,000). Please see Appendix I for
assault and homicide rates for incor-
porated and unincorporated areas of
Contra Costa County. Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates by County Region
Contra Costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
Homicide n=421
The majority of firearm homicides
140 Rate per 100,000
OAssauft MHorn Ido
occurred in Richmond(42.3%, n=47). 120 112.8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The areas with the highest firearm
homicide rates in Contra Costa were t00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
North Richmond(639 per 100,000),the so - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
unincorporated area of Bethel Island in
East County (94.6 per 100,000),
Richmond (50.7 per 100,000), San ,a 38.8
Pablo (49.7 per 100,000), the city of
Brentwood in East County (19.1 per20 13.3
42 1.8 p 1.1
100,000),Antioch(11.1 per 100,0000), p
and the unincorporated area of El Wast East central South
Sobrante in West County (10.2 per FWWsn*,P,,„nwnProgm LikwwdorownemddR
100,000). i
Assault and Homicide Figure 12
When assaults and homicides were per 100,000), Bethel Island (94.6 per County (79.4%, n=246). East County
taken together, people in North 100,000),Bay Point(74.5 per 100,000), accounted for 16.1%(n=50)of firearm
Richmond were found to be most at risk Rodeo (52..7 per 100,000), and assaults, followed by Central County
for assault or homicide, with an Brentwood(38.2 per 100,000). with 4.5% (n=14)of the total assaults.
assaultive firearm injury rate of 1 193 per The Southern region did not experience
100,000. Other areas with high Region any firearm assaults during the study
assaultive rates include: Richmond The greatest proportion of firearm year. (See figure 11.)
(253.6 per 100,000), San Pablo (175.6 assaults occurred in West Contra Costa West County had the highest assault
20 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
rate, 112.6 per 100,000, followed by
East County (30.3 per 100,000); and
Central County(4.2 per 100,000).(See Assaultive Violence Rate, Poverty Level
figure 12.) and Unemployment by Region
ItCounty,Ju
West County had the highest ntraCosaouny, yt,tss3-Juneao,lssa
n=421
proportion of firearm homicides County Reglon
(73.0%), followed by East County 151.5
(19.8%), Central County (5.4%), and West 11.7
South County(0.9%). Homicide rates 72
calculated by region revealed that West 43'6
East 9.5
County had the highest homicide rate 6.7'
(38.9 per 100,000), followed by East 6
County (13.3 per 100,000), Central central 4.7
County (1.8 per 100,000), and South 3A
Assaultive Rate
County(1.1 per 100,000). 1.6 t•t 1 1 0%Below Poverty
South I �� ,
®%Unemployment
City of Shooting and 2.6 0 20'I 40 60 60 100 120 140 160 160
Victims Residence FIRSTsn,dy,PrwentbnProgmm:Law enbreementdatkINOCensus
The majority of firearm assaultand
homicide victims (67.4% and 59.5%, Figure 13
respectively) were shot in the city in the third highest unemployment rate (assaultive rate, 74.5 per 100,000;
which they lived.Twenty percent of the (3.4%), which correlate to having the poverty rate, 13.9%; unemployment
assault victims and 15.3% of the third highest regional assaultive violence rate,8.3%),Rodeo(assaultive rate,52.7
homicide victims were shot in a -rate (6.0 per 100,000). South County per 100,000; poverty rate, 9.2%;
neighboring city, 6.5% of the assault had the lowest percentage of people unemployment rate, 5.1%), and
victims and 19.8% of the homicide living below the poverty level (1.8%) Pittsburg (assaultive rate. 47.3 per
victims had no known residence or other and the lowest unemployment rate 100,000; poverty rate, 10.8%;
address.The remainder,4.2%of assault (2 6%), which correlate to having the unemployment rate, 7.1%) are other
and 5.4%of homicide victims,were shot lowest assaultive violence rate(1.I per areas that exemplify the correlation
in a city thatwas not a neighboring city, 100,000) among the four county between high assaultive, poverty and
i.e., a city that does_not share borders regions:(See figure 13.) unemployment rates. (Please see
with their city of residence. There.was also a correlation between Appendix L)
the percentage of people living in It must be noted that the Bureau of
Poverty and poverty, the unemployment rate, and Census determines just one poverty
Unemployment the assaultive firearm injury rate of threshold for the entire nation. Al-
individual cities and unincorporated though this threshold is updated each
In numerous studies,violence has been areas in Contra Costa County. Cities year based on the consumer price index,
shown to be statistically associated with and unincorporated areas with the it does not take into account the
low socioeconomic status or poverty. . highest assaultive rates also had the differences in living costs among
West County had the highest propor- highest percentages of people living localities throughout the United States.
tion of people living below the poverty below the poverty level, as well as the Depending on the locality,the poverty
level (11.7%) and the highest unem- highest unemployment rates. North threshold is considered by some critics
ployment rate(7.2%) of any region in Richmond had the highest assaultive to be too low or too high.Based on the
the county This correlates with West rate (1 193 per 100,000) among all very high cost of living in the Bay Area,
County having the highest assaultive localities in the county,and also had the the 1990 Bureau of Census poverty
firearm injury rate (assaults and homi- highest percentage of people living threshold may havetherefore been an
cides combined, 151.5 per 100,000). below the poverty level(52.8%)and the underestimate of the true poverty levels
East County had the second highest highest unemployment rate (29.0%). experienced by the residents of Contra
proportion of people living below the Richmond had the second highest Costa County.It is extremely likely that
poverty level (9.5%) and the second assaultive rate(253.6 per 100,000),with Contra Costa County regions,cities and
highest unemployment rate(6.7%),and 16.1% of its population living below unincorporated areas have higher
experienced the second highest poverty and an unemployment rate of percentages of people living below the
assaultive injury rate in the county(43.6 9.5%. San Pablo had an assaultive rate poverty threshold than the percentages
per 100,000). Central County had the of 175.6 per 100,000,with 19.0%of its obtained from the 1990 Census,which
third highest percentage of people liv- people living below poverty and an are used here.
ing below the poverty level(4.7%)and unemployment rate of 10.2%.Bay Point
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 21
1
1
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Gun Caliber
The most commonly reported caliber
used in firearm assaults was 9mm
(21.9%,n=68),followed by.380 caliber Firearm Assaults by Gun Caliber
(8.1%,n=25),.22 caliber(6.1%,n=19), Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
.25 caliber (5.2%, n=16), and .38 n=310
Special(4.5%,n=14).The gun's caliber
was unknown for 39.0% of shooting unknown 121
assaults. (See figure 14.) 9mm se
The caliber most commonly reported •380 cal 2s
in firearm homicides was 9mm(37.8%, 22 cal 19
n=42), followed by .38 Special (7.2%, Other
25 cal js16
;
n=8)and.22 caliber(5.4°x6, n=6).The �g � 1h
Pec
firearm caliber was reported as unknown .357 Magnum 10, ,
in 30.6%of homicides.(See figure 15.) BB 7
For homicides and assaults combined, .45 cal 7
the caliber most commonly reported 12 gauge s
was 9mm(26.1%,n=110),followed by Pellet 2
.380 cal (6.9%, n=29), .22 cal (5.9%, 0 20 40 60 so 100 120 140
n=25), .38 Special (5.2%, n=22) and FIRST SU*,Prevention Program Lawenbrcemantdaft
other(4.8%,n=20).The firearm caliber
was unknown in 36.8% (n=155) of Figure 14
homicides and assaults.
Firearm Homicides by Gun Caliber
Firearm Assaults cornracastacoumy,July 1,,993-June 30,,994
and Homicides 9rnm42
Unknown 34
by Gun Type .38 special
.22 Cal
More than two-thirds(67.1%,n=208) s ;
of firearm assaults were committed with .25 cal a ;
handguns. Of the handguns used in .3eor� 4 ;
these assaults, 70.2% (n=146) were
,
semiautomatics, 18.8% (n=39) were .as eal a
revolvers,and 11.1%(n=23)were of an other 4
unknown type. Airguns (BB and pellet .357 Magnum 3 ;
guns) were used in 4.2% of assaults
(n=13), rifles in 3.2% (n=10), and 12 gauge 2
shot 2.6% n=8). The a of o 10 20 30 ao so
13uns in ( typ RBST Study.Prevantlon Program:Lew snbnxmerd dem
gun used for 22.9% (n=71) of assaults
was reported as unknown. (See figure Figure 15
16.)
More than three-fourths of all type.Shotguns were reported to be used by the police,the type of firearm used
homicides (76.6%, n=85) were in 3.6%and rifles in 2.7%of homicides. can sometimes be inferred from the
committed with handguns. Of the The type of gun used was unknown in evidence at the crime scene, witness
handguns used in homicides, 70.6% 17.1%of homicides. (See figure 17.) accounts or a coroner's investigation.
were semiautomatics,20.0%revolvers, Note: Although a gun used in a See Appendix M for gun type j
and 9.4%were of an unknown handgun shooting may not have been recovered illustrations.
i
22 . The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm Assaults by Gun Type
Contra Costa County,July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
rtiMeu l 10 34 ) — - — — — — — — — Unknown =23(11.1%)
Shotgun -a(Z.6%) Revohrer=39 (18.8%)
n =208(67.1%)- .
Unknown =71 (22.9% Semlautomaft =146(70.2%) .
Total assaults (n=310) Handgun types (n=208)
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement data
Figure 16
Firearm Homicides by Gun Type
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
Rifle — — — — — — — — — — _
(n=3) 2.7% Unknown (n=8) 9.4%
Revolver (n=17) 20.o%
Unknown Handgun
(n=19) 17.1% (n=85) 76.6%
Semlatrto (n=60) 70.696
Shotgun —
(n=4) 3.6% —
Total Homicides Handgun Types
(n=111) (n=85)
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement data
Figure 17
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 23
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Victim-Offender Relationship
More than half of all victim-offender
relationships for homicides and assaults
were reported to local law enforcement Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Victim-Offender Relationship
agencies as being unknown or missing contra costa county,Juy 1,1993-June 30,1994
(59.5% for homicides and 50.6% for n=421
assaults). The lack of data on the50.6%
relationship of victim to offender may unknown ;59.5%
be accounted for by: 1) victim and 25.2%
Acquaintance 21.5%'
witness reluctance to provide this infor- ,
mation to police because they feared to.a% 21.5%-
Stranger ' '
retaliation, distrusted the police, or ,
preferred to handle the situation on their Family/Non-Spouse 1.3%
own,or 2)witnesses or victims may not 3.6%,6%
have seen or known who shot them. spouse/lover 0.6%
Similar surveillance projects done 4.5%
uft
nationally as well as locally have found Other 096% ; oAs� � � �Homicfrnid
de
comparable percentages of missing data
for victim-offender relationship. o% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
National studies show that in MSTS'"'Pre°°""D°Pignun: `VVenbn ntd°m
homicides where offenders were
reported as being unknown, the offen- Figure 18
ders were most likely to be strangers did not want to reveal the offenders' reported, a person was more likely to
because murders between intimates are identity. Therefore, in many firearm be shot by an acquaintance (25.2% of
usually solved or cleared up and the assaults where the victim-offender assaults,21.6%of homicides)than by a
offenders identified. However, anec- relationship was reported to be stranger (21.6% of assaults, 10.8% of
dotal information from police reports unknown,the offenders are believed to homicides). More homicides (4.5%)
indicates that in most nonfatal firearm be acquaintances. than assaults (0.6%) were reported to
assaults, the victims or witnesses may For assaults and homicides where the have been committed by a current or
have known who the offenders were but victim-offender relationship was ex-spouse/]over.(See figure 18.)
24 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Victim-
Offender Relationship and Victim Sex
As previously mentioned, the victim
and offender relationship was reported
as"unknown"for the majority of firearm' Firearm Assaults by Victim-Offender Relationship and Victim Sex
assaults and homicides.When analyzed contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
by sex, data on victim-offender n=310
relationships for assaults were missing
51.696
in 43.2% of female victim cases and unknown 432%
51.6%of male victim cases. 24.296
Acquaintance 32.4%,
Assaults Stranger 21.996; ;
16.9%
The most frequently reported victim- o%
offender relationship for both male and spouse/Lover 5.4% ;
female firearm assault victims was that Family/Non-Spouse Spouse o%5%
of acquaintance.A higher proportion of =aLlfemales, 32.4% (n=12) than,males Other o.a7%
(24.2%, n=66) were assaulted by o%
acquaintances. This was followed by 096 10% 20% 30% ao% 50% so%
assault by a stranger(21.9% for mates FIRST Su ,P,e"n"°nP`9mm:Law erdomnwrytd"a
and 18.9%for females).(See figure19.)
In law enforcement reporting,if more Figure 19
than one person is suspected of shooting
the victim or if the primary offender is
unknown,a second offender is.listed.In Firearm Homicides by Victim-Offender Relationship and Victim Sex
approximately one quarter(24.3%) of contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
firearm homicides and one fifth(20.3%) n=111
of firearm assaults, more than one unknown 61.7%
person was suspected of shooting the 47.1%
victim. These figures do not include 25 %
persons suspected of having been Acquaintance o% ;
involved in the crime but not of
shooting the victim. Spouse/Lover 0%
Homicides 9.2%;
Family,Non-Spouse '
The victim-offender relationship was
unknown or missing in a large percen- 9.6% Male
tage of male and female homicides stranger 176% oFemale
(61.7% and 47.1%, respectively). o% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Females were more at risk for being FlRSTSwdy,PmwnllonPmpam:Lawanb"n*ntdata
killed by a current/ex-spouse/lover
(29.4%, n=5) than males (0.0%). In Figure 20
contrast, males were more likely to be
killed by an acquaintance(25.5%,n=23)
than females(0.0%). (See figure 20.)
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 25
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Victim-Offender Relationship and Victim
Race/Ethnicity
Information on victim race/ethnicity 28.2% (n=1 1) of Latino victims, and 23.8% (n=5) of White victims. Being
and victim-offender relationship was 13.9% (n=28) of African American killed by a stranger was the second
missing or unknown for a large number victims.Acquaintances were reported to leading type of relationship reported for
of assaults and homicides.Where data have assaulted 26.7% (n=4) of Asian/ African American and White victims,
were available, being assaulted by a Other victims, 30.0%(n=15)of White while being shot by a spouse or a family
stranger was the most frequent victim- victims, and 23.1% (n=9) of Latino member was the second most frequent
offender relationship reported by all victims. relationship reported for Latino victims.
race/ethnic groups except for African Acquaintance was also the most For Asians/Other, only two homicides
Americans, who were more often frequently reported victim-offender were reported in which the victim-
assaulted by acquaintances (23.8%, relationship for firearm homicides. offender relationship was known (one
n=48).Strangers were reported to have Acquaintances shot and killed 22.5% was killed by a spouse and the other was
assaulted 53.3% (n=8) of Asian/Other (n=16) of African American victims, killed by a stranger).
victims,38.0%(n=19)of White victims, 21.4% (n=3) of Latino victims, and
Firearm Assault Rates by Victim
Race/Ethnicity and Offender Sex and
Race/Ethnicity
Assault victims tend to be shot by Other, 33.3% were shot by African 2.6% (n=8) of the assaults reported.
offenders from the same race/ethnic Americans, 20% (n=3) were shot by Females committed assault at a rate of
background.Among African American offenders of unknown ethnicity, and only 1.8 per 100,000, in contrast to
firearm assault victims,62.2%(n=125) 6.7%(n=1)each were shot by a White males,who committed assault at a rate.
were assaulted by African Americans; and a Latino. of 49.3 per 100,000, a rate 27.4 times
32.8% (n=66) were assaulted by When rates were calculated by sex and higher. When females committed
offenders of unknown race/ethnicity, ethnicity,African American males were assault, their victims were
2.5% (n=5)were assaulted by Whites, found to have the highest offender- predominantly males(62.5%,n=5)than
and 2.5% (n=5) were assaulted by assault rate, 398.5 per 100,000. This females(37.5%, n=3). Males assaulted
Latinos. high offender-assault rate means that more than seven males (88%, n=184)
Among Latino assault victims,43.2% African American males were also being for every female they assaulted.
(n=16) were shot by Latinos, 32.4% victimized at a high rate. They were
(n=12)were shot by African Americans, followed by Latino males (50.5 per
21.6%(n=8)were shot by offenders of 100,000), African American females
unknown ethnicity, and 2.7% (n=1) (14.4 per 100,000),Asian/Other males
were shot by Whites. (13.0 per 100,000), White males (8.1
Among White assault victims, 36.0% per 100,000)and White females(6.7 per
(n=18) were shot by Whites, 26.0% 100,000). The order of rates by race/
(n=13) were shot by offenders of ethnicity and sex are similar to-victim-
unknown ethnicity,30.0%(n=15)were assault rates.
shot by African Americans,6.0%(n=3) Although females comprised more
were shot by Latinos, and 2.0% (n=1) than fifty percent of Contra Costa's
were shot by Asians/Other. population in 1994 and accounted for
Among Asian/Other assault victims, 11.9%(n=37)of the assault victims for
33.3% (n=5) were shot by Asians/ the study year, they committed only
26 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm Homicide Rates ,by Offender Sex
and Race/Ethnicity
As with assaults, homicide victims killed by an offender of unknown race/ per 100,000;African American females,
were likely to be killed by offenders of ethnicity. 4.8 per 100,000;Asian/Other males,4.3
the same race/ethnic background. Sex and race/ethnicity were reported per 100,000;and White males, 4.2 per
Among African American homicide as unknown for more than one-third 100,000. These rates should be
victims, 57.7% (n=41) were killed by (34.5%, n=38) of homicide offenders. interpreted with caution since over one-
African Americans,while the offenders This may be because the suspect was third of the data was missing for both
race/ethnicity was reported as unknown still under investigation when the police sex and race/ethnicity of suspect.
for the remaining victims (42.2%, abstracted information from crime or Although females comprised more
n=30). supplemental reports onto FIRST than fifty percent of Contra Costa's
Among Latino homicide victims, reporting forms. For homicides where population in 1994 and accounted for
64.3% (n=9) were killed by Latinos, the suspect's sex and ethnicity were 15.3% (n=17)of the homicide victims
28.6%(n=4)by African Americans,and known. African American males for the study year, they were reported
7.1%(n=1)byWhites. committed 40.9% (n=45) of the to have committed only two homicides
Among white homicide victims, homicides, followed by White males (1.8%)where the victim was male and
52.4% (n=11) were killed by Whites, (10.9%, n=12), Latino males (9.1%, one(0.9%)where the victim was female.
33.3% (n=7) were killed by offenders n=10),Asian/Other males(1.8%,n=2) Females committed homicide at a rate
of unknown race/ethnicity,9.5%(n=2) and African American females (1.8%, of 0.4 per 100,000,in contrast to males
were killed by African Americans, and n=2). who committed homicide at a rate of
4.8% (n=1)were killed by Latinos. When rates were calculated for 16 per 100,000, or 40 times that of
Among Asian/Other homicide victims, available data,African American males females. Males killed other males
50.0% (n=2) were killed.by Asians/ were.found to have the highest (84.3%, n=59) more than they killed
Other, one was killed by an African homicide-offender rate, 118.8 per females(15.7%, n=11).
American, and the other victim was 100,000;followed by Latino males, 18.0
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 27
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Shooting Location
Assaults and homicides committed
with a firearm were most likely to occur
on a street, parking lot, or sidewalk. Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Shooting Location
Over one-third (36.1%, n=1 12) of Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
assaults occurred on a street,parking lot, n=421
or sidewalk,while 24.3%of homicides
(n=27)occurred at these locations.This street/Lot/sidewalk 24.3% '�%
was followed by being assaulted(18.7%, 1e.�%
n=58) or killed (21.6%, n=24) in a Other Residence 21 6% ,
residence other than the victim's(or in 14.8%
the yard or driveway of this residence). victim's Home 1i 4%
The victim's home was the location of 12.8% ;
Car
14.8% (n=46) of assaults and 17.4% 15.3%
(n=19)of homicides. (See Figure 21.) store17.1%
Inside a car was where 12.8% (n=40)
of assaults and 15.3% (n=17) of other �^
7.2% �Homidde
homicides were committed.Stores were
the location of 7.1%(n=22)of assaults. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
There was a slightly higher proportion FIRST St*,PreyentbnPmymm:lawenfomementdaft
of fatalities occurring in closed-in areas
such as houses or cars than in more open Figure 21
street, parking lot, or sidewalk areas.
This may be due to the proximity of the
offender to the victim inside houses and'
can,where more shootings are done at
close range.
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Shooting Circumstances
The shooting circumstances categories shot by offender who fired gun from a unknown (11.5%, n=48),victim in car
were based on police reports of the motor vehicle; (d) victim indoors: (6.0%,n=25),other(4.3%,n=18),and
immediate circumstances of,and not the shooting occurred indoors;not a drive- indoors(2.9%, n=12).
actual reason for,a shooting.Although by and no conflict apparent;(e)robbery: For assaults, a person was most likely
police are seldom able to determine a shooting occurred during robbery or to be shot and injured while walking,
single reason for a shooting, most attempted robbery; (f)victim walking, standing,or bicycling outdoors(24.8%,
firearm homicides and assaults are standing, or bicycling: not a drive-by, n=77), during a drive-by (20.3%,
believed to be acts of retaliation or and no conflict apparent (victims n=62), during an argument or fight
intimidation rather than random gunfire. wishing to avoid police involvement (19.4%, n=59), during a robbery
Categories into which shooting often described shooting incidents in (13.5%,n=42),circumstances unknown
incidents are classified are:(a)argument this way);(g)other;and(h)unknown. or missing(7.1%,n=22),while in a car
or fight, verbal or physical: conflict The circumstances that immediately (6.8%, n=21), other circumstances
occurred at time of shooting(not used preceded the shootings were reported (3.5%, n=11), while indoors (3.5%,
if shooting was in retaliation to a to police agencies. For both assaults and n=10), or under drug-related
previous conflict); (b) victim in a car: homicides, walking, standing, or circumstances (1%, n=3). (See figure
not a drive-by,and no conflict apparent; bicyclingwas the shooting circumstance 22.)
(c) drug crime: not a drive-by, and reported most frequently (21.3%, For homicides where circumstances
primary reason for shooting known to n=89), followedby argument/fight were reported, the order of frequency
be drug-related; (d) drive-by: victim (20.1%,n=84),drive-by(18.5%,n=77), of occurrence was as follows:during an
28 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
argument or fight (22.5%, n=25),.
during a drive-by(14.4%,n=15)',while
walking,standing,or bicycling(10.8%, Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Shooting Circumstances
n=12), other circumstances (6.3%, Contra Costa County,July 1,1893-June 30,1994
n=7), during a robbery (5.4%, n=6),
n=421
while in a car(3.6%,n=4),under drug- Unknown 7.1%,
related circumstances(1.8%,n=2),and 3
3.3%
while indoors(1.8%, n=2). (See figure
WalkingxMMMMMM11_'0_ , 24.e%
22.) Drhm-by as.4% =3%
m ,
For some victims shot while walking Arguent(Flght 40.4%2ZS
or in a drive-by shooting, an argument Robbery s.4% +a.s%
or confrontation could have occurred
one or two days prior to the shooting, In Car �a+�
but the shooting circumstance reported Indoors
to law enforcement refers to what the other
eax OAssatdt
victim was doing immediately preceding Drug Crime
the shooting.
Shooting circumstances. were 0% s% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
unknown or missing for 33.3% of the FIRST.Slticly.Pwnntbn Imrm:I"enfomenwntdata
homicides. By comparison, only 7.1
of the nonfatal assaults reported the Figure 22
circumstances to be unknown or
missing. This large difference may be
due to the fact that homicide victims,
being dead, are unable to relate what
they were doing prior to the shooting.
Firearm Assaults by Shooting
Circumstances and Victim Race/Ethnicity
Of the 202 African American firearm victims,the largest proportion was shot victims were shot while walking,
assault victims, the highest proportion in arguments or fights (30.0%, n=15) standing or bicycling(23.1%, n=9), in
was shot while walking, standing, or and in drive-bys (24.0%, n=12). The drive-bys (20.5%, n=8), during
bicycling(22.9%,n=46); 17.8%(n=36) remaining victims were shot during robberies (15.4%, n=6), in other
of African American assault victims were robberies(18.0%,n=9),while walking, circumstances (10.3%, n=4), and in
shot in drive-bys, 15.3%(n=31)during standing or bicycling(12.0%,n=6),in unknown circumstances(5.1%,n=2).
arguments or fights, 11.9% (n=24) other circumstances(6.0%,n=3),inside Of the 11 Asian/Pacific Islander
during robberies, 9.4% (n=19) in cars, cars (4.0%, n=2), during.a drug crime firearm assault victims, more than half
5.4% (n=11) indoors, 1.0% (n=2) (2.0%, n=l), and in unknown were shot in drive-bys (54.5%, n=6).
during drugcrimes, 1.5%(n=3)in other circumstances(4.0%,n=2). The remaining were shot while walking,
circumstances, and 8.4% (n=17) in Of the 39 Latino victims, more than standing, or bicycling (18.2%, n=2),
unknown circumstances. one-fourth(25.6%,n=10)were shot in during an argument or fight (9.1%,
Among the 50 White firearm assault arguments or fights. The remaining n=1), during a robbery(9.1%), and in
other circumstances(9.1%).
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 29
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by
Shooting Circumstances and Victim Sex
Assaults
The circumstances surrounding Firearm.Assaults by Shooting Circumstances and Victim Sex
firearm assaults varied when data were contra costa county,July 1,1893-June 30,1994
stratified by sex. Most males were n=310
assaulted with a firearm while walking, Walking
standing, or bicycling(26.7%, n=73), 1o.e%
while only 10.8% (n=4) of women Argument 13.5%
assault victims were shot in similar Dfire-by e.3
13S.1%
circumstances. Women were most Robbs 14.7%
Robbery 5.4%
frequently assaulted in drive-by
shootings (35.1%, n=13), compared Ind a.1%
with 18.3%(n=50)of men shot during Unknown 7.3% ;
5.4% ,
drive-bys.Arguments were the second Other 3.3%
leading circumstance in assaults on men Indoors 1.6% 1s.2 �M�e
(20.1%, n=55) and the third leading Drug came 1.1% aFernale
circumstance in assaults on women
(13.5%, n=5). One in seven males o% 10% 20% 30% 40%
(14.7%, n=40) and one in twenty FIRST Study,Pre"redon Program:tawentorvementdata
females (5.4%, n=2) were assaulted
during robberies. Only 1.8% (n=5) of Figure 23
males were assaulted indoors,compared
with 16.2% (n=6) of females; 6.6%
(n=18)of male victims and 8.1%(t1=3)
of female victims were shot in cars.(See Firearm Homicides by Shooting Circumstances and Victim Sex
Figure 23.) Contra Costa County,July 1.1993-June 30,1994
n=111
Homicides Unknown 41.2%
Argument 2%,
Shooting circumstances were Arg '
Drive-by 1796
unknown or not reported for 31.9%of 12.1%
male and 41.2% of female homicide walks 12.8%victims.Where the circumstances were Robberys.9%known, the majorityof males (22.3%, ;n=21)and females(23.5%, n=4)were �1ef 176%
shot and killed during arguments or to cars 9%fights. Males were killed in drive-by Drug crime
shootings (17.0%, n=15), while Indoors oFemale
walking,standing,or bicycling(12.8%, 5.8'
o% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
n=12),during robberies(5.3%,n=5),in FIRST Study.PmontlonProgmm:lawenbreemerddeta
other circumstances(4.2%,n=4),while
inside cars (3.2%, n=3), during drug Figure 24
crimes(2.1%, n=2),and while indoors
n=1).
No women were killed in drive-by
shootings,during drug crimes,or while
walking,standing,or bicycling.Women
were killed in other circumstances
(17.6%, n=3), while indoors (5.9%,
n=1),while in a car(5.9%),and during
a robbery(5.9%). (See Figure 24.)
30 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm Homicides by Shooting
Circumstances and Race/Ethnicity
Circumstances surrounding these racial groups.Large amounts of data are American, 28.6% (n=6) of White, and
shootings must be carefully interpreted missing due to law enforcement 42.9%(n=6)of Latino homicide victims
because a large proportion of the data agencies not knowing or reporting the were reported to be engaged in
was missing for each of the race/ethnic circumstances surrounding,a shooting arguments or fights before being shot
groups. Unknown or missing circum- incident, and the deceased not being and killed.
stances were reported for 37.2%(n=26) present to report the circumstances. African Americans were killed in drive-
of African American firearm homicide For homicides where the shooting bys (17.1%, n=12) more often than
victims, 38.0% (n=8) of Whites, and circumstances were reported,arguments Whites,(9.5%, n=2). Eleven African
14.3% (n=2) of Latinos. Due to the or fights were the most frequent American homicide victims (15.7%)
small numbers reported for each cir- circumstance that preceded homicides were shot while walking, standing or
cumstance,caution_must be used when on African Americans, Whites and bicycling, and three were killed while
comparing frequencies across ethnic/ Latinos: 18.6% (n=13) of African inside cars(4.3%).
. Firearm Type and Shooting Circumstances
Assaults 4.3%in unknown circumstances. circumstances (29.5%, n=5), in other
When airguns were used in assaults, circumstances (11.8%, n=2), during a
When semiautomatics were used in 61.5%(n=8)were used when the victim I robbery (5.9%, n=1), during a drug
assaults, 25.3% (n=37) were used in was walking, standing or bicycling, crime(5.9%),and while the victim was
drive-by shootings,20.5%(n=30)were 15.4%(n=2)in drive-by assaults,7.7% walking(5.9%).
used during arguments, 17.1% (n=25) (n=1) during an argument, 7.7% When handguns of unknown type
when the victim was walking,standing outdoors, and 7.7% in other were used in homicides,they were used
or bicycling, and 15.1% (n=22) in circumstances. to kill victims in cars(37.5%, n=3), in
.robbery assaults. The remaining Next to a shotguns,rifles were the least unknown circumstances(25.0%,n=2),
semiautomatics were used on victims frequent weapons used in assaults.Three during an argument(12.5%, n=1), in a
inside cars(8,2%,n=12),indoors(4.1%, people were shot with rifles in drive-by drive-by shooting (12.5%), and while
n=6), during drug crimes(1.4%, n=2), shootings, three were shot while the victim was walking, standing or
and in other circumstances(0.7%,n=1). walking, standing or bicycling, two bicycling(12.5%).
Semiautomatics were used in 10 assaults were shot while indoors,and two were Shotguns were used to kill victims
(6.8%) where the circumstances were assaulted in other circumstances. during arguments (n=3) and in one
unknown. unknown circumstance.Rifles were used
When revolvers were used in assaults, Homicides to commit homicides during an
they were most likely to be used during argument(n=1), indoors(n=1),and in
arguments (43.6% n=17), followed by When semiautomatics were used in unknown eircumstances(n=1).
assaults on victims who were walking, homicides,23.3%(n=14)were used in See Appendix M for gun type
standing or bicycling (25.6%, n=10), drive-bys, 23.3% in unknown illustrations.
robbery assaults (12.8%, n=5), and circumstances, and 21.7% (n=13)
other circumstances(7.7%,n=3). The during arguments. The remaining
remaining revolvers were used in a drug semiautomatics that were used in
crime assault (2.6%, n=1), drive-by homicides were used when the victim
assault (2.6%), and assault that took. was walking, standing or bicycling
place in a car(2.60x6). (15.0%, n=9), in other circumstances
Of the handguns of an unknown type (6.7%, n=4), during robberies (5.0%,
that were used in assaults,39.1%(n=9) n=3),in a car(1.7%,n=1),during a drug
were used in robbery assaults, 21.7% crime(1.7%),andwhile indoors(1.7%).
(n=5) during arguments, 17.4% (n=4) When revolvers were used in
when the victim was walking,standing homicides, they were used during
or bicycling, 13.0% (n=3) inside cars, arguments (41.2%, n=7), in unknown
4.3%(n=1)in a drive-by shooting,and
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 31
Oil
r
Firearm Assaults and Homicides
by Month and Time
Firearm Assaults and Homicides by Month
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=421
Number of Assaults and Homicides
50
0Assault MHomicide
40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Z9- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
37
31
30 28- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
26 25
24
22 22 22
20 18
13 110 13 13
11 10
10 e s $ 13
s 6
0
Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
n=36 n=35 n=40 n=39 n=30 n=28 n=51 n=45 n=29 n=35 n=18 n=31
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement data
Figure 25
Firearm assaults occurred most often
in July (12.6%) and August (11.9%),
while homicides occurred most Firearm Assaults by Time of Day
frequently in April(11.7%)and October contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
(11.7%). The smallest percentage of n=310
assaults and homicides occurred in Number of assaults
November. (See figure 25.) 250
The majority of the assaults (59.7%,
n=184) occurred between 4 p.m.- 200 taa
midnight.The remainderwas spread out
almost equally between 12 a.m.-8 a.m. 150 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(n=63, 20.5%) and 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(n=61, 19.8%). Most homicides were 100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
committed (53.4%, n=55) between 4 6a61
p.m.and midnight;25.2%(n=26)were 50 - - - - - - - -
committed between 12 a.m.-8 a.m.,and
the remaining 21.4% (n=22) were o
committed between 8 a.m.-4 p.m.(See 12am-7:59am 8am3:59pm 4pm-11:59pm
figure 26.) Flawsn,ay,Pre�enaenPc�:taw«*nMdaft
Figure 26
32 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Pail I
Firearm Homicide Victims Testing Positive for
Alcohol and Other Drugs at the Time of Death
Firearm Homicide Victims
Testing Positive for Alcohol/Other Drugs
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=111
Alcohol' Other Drugs
Unknown 5.4%
No 54.1%
Unknown 5.4% No 36.9% No Test 24.396
o Test 4.5%
Yes 36.0%
Yes 33.3%
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Coroner data
Figure 27
Using coroner data, information was negative.One-third of homicide victims were not tested for drugs. Information
available on alcohol and drug use by tested positive for other drugs(33.3%), about alcohol or drug consumption was
homicide victims.More than one-third while 36.9%tested negative for drugs. reported as unknown for 5.4% of
of homicide victims tested positive for Four point five percent(4.5%)of victims victims.(See figure 27.)Information on
alcohol (36.0%), while 54.1% tested were not tested for alcohol,and 24.3% alcohol and drug use by assailants is
unavailable.
0
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 33
Firearm Suicides
Suicides made up 25.5%of the firearm
deaths and 1.5%of the nonfatal injuries
in Contra Costa County during the
Self-Inflicted Firearm Injury Rates
study period.A total of 47 intentionally contra costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
self-inflicted injuries were committed n=47
with firearms;85%of these self-inflicted Rata per 1100,000
injuries were fatal (n=40) and 15% b 4.6 NFatal ONontatal
(n=7) were nonfatal. The suicide rate
for the total population was 5.4 per 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
100,000.The fatal suicide rate was 4.6
per 100,000 and the nonfatal rate was 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0.8 per 100,000. (See figure 28.) The
larger proportion of fatal firearm 2
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
suicides found by FIRST corresponds to
research indicating that the fatality of 1 -0.e - - - - - - - - -
suicide attempts is much higher when
firearms are used than when other
methods are used (Pacific Center for °
Violence Prevention, 1994).This shows FIRSTS",Pmentlon ProCmn:C*ww anti
that when a person attempts to commit
suicide using a gun,the outcome is most Figure 28
likely to be fatal.
Firearm Suicides by Victim Sex, Age,
and Ethnicity
Males were more likely than females 100,000), 15-19 year olds (13.4 per the total suicides and had the second
to commit suicide using firearms,78.4% t 00,000),and 30-34 year olds(13.2 per highest suicide rate, 3.7 per 100,000.
(n=37) to 19.6% (n=9). The male 100,000). Among females, 75-79 year Latinos accounted for 6.4%(n=3)ofthe
suicide rate,8.7 per 100,000,was more olds had the highest suicide rate of 8.3 total suicides and had a rate of 2.8 per
than four times that of the female suicide per 100,000, followed by 50-54 year 100,000. Asians/Other accounted for
rate,2.0 per 100,000.This ratio mirrors olds(7.3 per 100,000), 30-34 year olds the lowest proportion of attempted or
the ratio between male and female (5.7 per 100,000),20-24 year olds(3.6 completed firearm suicides(4.3%,n=2).
suicide rates nationally. Research has per 100,000),and 35-39 year olds(2.6
indicated that the presence of a firearm per 100,000). (See figure 29. See Race/Ethnicity and Sex
in the home is a major situational factor Appendix J for table of rates.) White males had the highest suicide
in suicide deaths(Kellerman and Reay, rate (fatal and nonfatal) at 10.9 per
1986; Kellerman et al, 1992).Firearms Race/Ethnicity 100,000,followed by Latino males(5.4
account for nearly 60% of all suicide per 100,000), African American males
deaths;it is the weapon used most often Suicide data analyzed by race/ (5.3 per 100,000), and Asian/Other
by both men and women, followed by ethnicity revealed that Whites were males (4.3 per 100,000). Females had
drugs or medicinal substances for more likely to try to take their lives using lower suicide rates across all race/ethnic
women and hanging for men. a gun than any other race/ethnic group. groups. African American females had
When data was stratified by both age Whites accounted for 83.0%(n=39)of the highest rate (2.4 per 100,000),
and sex,males 75-79 years old had the the total suicides and had a suicide rate followed closely by White females(2.3
highest suicide rate(35.5 per 100,000), of 6.6 per 100,000, three times that of per 100,000),and Asian/Other females
followed by 60-64 years olds(35.4 per Asians/Other, who had the lowest (2.0 per 100,000). Latino females did
100,000), 70-74 year olds (26.1 per suicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000.African not experience any self-inflicted injuries
100,000), 80-84 year olds (21.3 per Americans accounted for 6.4%(n=3)of due to firearms. (See figure 30.)
34 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Pr
a �
Firearm Suicide Rates by Victim Sex and Age
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=47
Rate per 100,000
40
-�•Male
-e-Female
30 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
00704 4-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 30.34 3539 40-44 45-49 50-54 60-64 65-09 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+
Age Group
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement,coroner,hospital data
Figure 29
i
i
Firearm Suicide Rates by Victim Race/Ethnicity and Sex
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993 June 30, 1994
n=47
12 Rate per 100,000
10.8 MMale OFemale
10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
g - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
g5.3 - - - - - - - - -5.4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4.3
4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2.3 . 2.4
2 - - - - - - 2
r' 0 0
White African American Latino Asian/Other
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement,coroner,hospital data
Figure 30
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 35
Firearm Suicides by Type' of Gun
Firearm Suicides by Gun Type
Contra Costa County,July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
Unknown — — — — — — — — — Undetermined
(n=4) 9.5% (n=3) 10.3%
Revolver
Handgun (n=17) 58.6%
Shotgun (n=29) 69.0%
(n=6) 14.3% I i?
W1
Semiautomatic
Rifle (n=9) 31.0%
n=42 n=29
FIRST Study,Prevention Program: Law enforcement data
Figure 31
The firearms most often used to
commit suicide were handguns,which
accounted for 69%(n=29)of all firearm
suicides. Revolvers (n=17) accounted Firearm Suicides by County Region
for 58.6% of these handguns; 31.0% Contra costa County July1,19x3-June 30,1994
n=45
(n=9)were semiautomatics,and 10.3%
(n=3)were of an unknown type.
Shotguns accounted for 14.3%(n=6) Easty R
24.4% west
of firearm suicides,and rifles accounted ,. 31.1%
for 7.1% (n=3). For 9.5% (n=4) of
suicide victims,the type of firearm was
unknown. (See figure 31.)
See Appendix M for gun type South
illustrations. 6'
Firearm Suicides Central
35.6%
byCity and FIRST Swdy,Pmentlon Pmgrmn:law enbrosmsnt,oaoror,hospW data
County Region Figure 32
The five cities or unincorporated areas 100,000),Oakley in East County(10.9 per 100,000), and Pleasant Hill in
with the highest suicide rates in Contra per 100,000),Walnut Creek in Central Central County(6.2 per 100,000).(See
Costa County were San Pablo(22.9 per County(9.5 per 100,000),Antioch(6.9 Appendix K.)
36 The FIRST Project Report. Results and Analysis, Part I
Dig
t ,
Unlike firearm homicides and assaults,
which occurred disproportionately in
West County, firearm suicides were Firearm Suicides by Place of Shooting/Place of Death
spread out more evenly throughout the contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
county. Where data were available,
Central County reported the majority 35 Number of Suicides n=4z
of firearm suicides, 35.6% (n=16), 30
30 - - - - - - - - - - -
followed by West County, 31.1% - - - - ' - - - - - -
(n=14), EastCounty, 24.4% (n=11), 25 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
and South County, 8.9% (n=4). (See
figure 32.)When calculating rates by 20 - - -
region and taking into account the pop- 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ulation differences between the regions,
East County experienced the highest
suicide rate of 6.7 per 100,000,followed 5 -3- - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
by West County (6.0 per 100,000), 2 t 1 1 t
Central County(4.8 per 100,000),and O hom other hmptml cewmsklc+ perk shaetbthdwk oar workp6oe
Place of Shooting/Death
South County(4.6 per 100,000). FIRST St*,P Pfwram:Lawet*wcettbKoinnerdam
Firearm Suicides I
Figure 33
by Place of
Shooting or Firearm Suicides by Month
Place of Death contra costa county.July 1,1993-June 30,1994
n=47
The majority of suicide victims t2 Number of Suicides
committed suicide at home (71.4%, 10
n=30). The location of shooting or 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
place of death reported for the 6
remaining suicides were other'location
(7.1%, n=3), hospital (7.1%), other 65 s 5- - - - - - - - - - - 5- - - - - -
residence(4.8%,n=2),car(2.4%,n=1'), a a
park (2.4%), street, parking lot, or
sidewalk (2.4%), and school, 2.4% 2 1 2 1
(which was a suicide that followed a
homicide). (See figure 33.) o Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
FirearmSuicides FIRST Ste,,Provendon Pteprem:Law eribmement,oommr,hospital data
by Month and Figure 34
Season
April and October(10.6%, n=5);June seasons,winter accounted for approxi-
The greatest number of people andjuly(8.5%,n=4);May(6.4%,n=3); mately one-third of all firearm suicides
committed suicide with firearms in November(4.3%,n=2);and September (34%, n=16), followed by summer
January (21.3%, n=10), followed by and December(2.1%,n=1).(See figure (29.8%, n=14), spring(27.7%, n=13),
August(12.8%,n=6);February,March, 34.)When months were grouped into and fall(17.0%, n=8).
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 37
1
Firearm Suicide Victims Testing Positive
for Alcohol
Information on alcohol use was
available for 93.6%, (n=44) of the
suicides.Of these,34.1%(n=15)of the Firearm Suicide Victims Testing Positive for Alcohol
suicide victims tested negative for
alcohol, 20.5% (n=9) tested positive, Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
and 31.8%(n=t 4)were not tested. (See No n=44
figure 35.) Alcohol use data were 34.1%
missing for 13.6%(n=6)of the victims. 0.
w
Missing
13.8%
Yes
20.5%
No test
31.8%
FIRST Study,Pre entbn Program:Coroner,hosplW feta
Figure 35
Unintentional Firearm Injuries and Deaths
Approximately 8.0% (n=50) of the
firearm injuries and deaths reported -
duringthe studyyearwere unintentional Firearm Unintentional Injury Rates by Victim Sex
injuries (often considered"accidents"). contra costa county,Juty 1,1993-June 30,1994
Unintentional injuries can be self- n=50
inflicted or inflicted by another person. Rate per 100.000
10
The overall unintentional injury rate was 9 WFatal ONoMatal
5.7 per 100,000,the third highest rate
due to intent. The nonfatal
e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
unintentional injury rate was 4.8 per
100,000 and the fatal rate was 0.2 per a - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
100,000 during the study year. There
were six unintentional firearm injuries a - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
that had unknown outcomes and
therefore could not be included in the 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
computations for the fatal and nonfatal 0 0.4 0.9
unintentional injury rates.Hospital data o
files were the source of most Male Female
FIRST So*.PwAnWnPro mm:laweMnrcemerrt,hospitaldata
unintentional injury reports (n=43).
Since unintentional shootings are not
considered crimes,they are not usually Figure 36
reported in law enforcement records.
Males were eight times more likely to 1.8 per 100,000 respectively.This figure The male nonfatal unintentional
suffer from unintentional firearm injuries included the unintentional injuries of firearm injury rate was 9.0 per 100,000,
than females.The total rates for males unknown outcomes(n=4 for males and in contrast to the female nonfatal
and females were 9.9 per 100,000 and n=2 for females). unintentional injury rate of 0.9 per
38 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part I
Firearm Unintentional Injury Rates by Victim Age
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=50
18 Rate per 100,000
16
137 14.4
14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9.8 A-
8 - - - - - - - - - - - -7.4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4
6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -4.8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4 4 3.8
- 2. 2.
2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - -
01 1
10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 3034 3539 4044 45-49 50-54 55-69 6034 75-79 85+
Age Group
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:Law enforcement,hospital data
Figure 37
100,000. No males died from unin- African Americans were found to have highest unintentional firearm injury rate
tentional firearm injuries during the the highest unintentional injury rate (14.9 per 100,000), followed by 20-24
study period. During the same period, (16.2 per 100,000),followed by Latinos year olds and 15-19 year olds. The
females died from unintentional,firearm (6.5 per 100,00), and Whites (4.1 per unintentional firearm injury rate
injuries at a rate of 0.4 per 100,000 100,000). No unintentional firearm dropped by almost half for persons 25
(n=2). (See figure 36.) injuries were reported for Asians/Other. years and older,and remained relatively
When stratified by race/ethnicity, Persons 10-14 years old had the low until increasing again for persons
75 years and older. (See figure 37.)
Legally Justifiable Firearm Injuries
and Deaths
The rate for legally justifiable 198.5 (home protection; fear of death of District Attorney or court decisions
shootings was the lowest of all the injury or great bodily injury). With the regarding these shootings.
intent groups (1.1 per 100,000). In all exception of justifiable homicide,no law Five of the legally justifiable shootings.
shootings (n=10), according to law enforcement or public health category were nonfatal, four were fatal,and one
enforcement accounts, the offenders exists that easily classifies such had an unknown outcome. Five of the
appeared to act in accordance with shootings; FIRST staff developed shootings were committed by police
California Penal Code Sections 196 classifications to capture these incidents officers, three were committed in self-
(public officers, legal duty), 197 (See Appendix B). FIRST's one-year defense by ordinary citizens, and two
(preventing an atrocious felony), or study period did not allow for the review were domestic violence-related.
Results and Analysis, Part I The FIRST Project Report 39
Results and Analysis, Part II
Hospital . Data
This section analyzes hospital data intent of firearm injury is usually
alone,without considering law enforce- undetermined because hospitals are not
ment and coroner data.These hospital as involved as law enforcement in
data are presented to complement the resolving this issue.Most of the firearm
latter two data sources,as well as provide injuries that were found in hospital
additional and unique information about records,but not in police records,may
the impact of gunshot injuries on the have been among victims who walked
health sector. in orwere taken to the emergency room
Of the 85 firearm injuries and deaths on their own, unaccompanied by the
in the study that were of undetermined police, whom the hospital staff then
intent, 82 (96.5%) were treated in failed for various reasons to notify.
hospitals but were not found in the law °Hospital data consist of both emer-
enforcement data set.State law requires gency room data and hospitalization
hospitals to report all firearm injuries data. Hospitalization data for firearm
and deaths to the police, but this does injuries and deaths were taken from the
not always happen. In the cases where John Muir Medical Center Trauma
the hospitals failed to make a report,the Registry.
Firearm Injury Hospitalizations by
Type of Injury
The majority of the firearm injury
hospitalizations (61.7%, n=291) were
caused by assaults, followed by Firearm Hospitalizations by Intent of Injury
unintentional (9.1%, n=43), self- Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
inflicted (3.0%, n=14), and police- n=472
inflicted shootings(6%,n=3).Intent for iso Number of Hospitalizations
25.6% (n=121)of hospitalized firearm
injuries was reported as undetermined. 300 2fl1- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(See figure 38.) Undetermined cases 250
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
were largely abstracted from emergency
room logs. In the emergency room, 200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
when the cause of a gunshot wound is
unknown, the injury is classified as 150 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i2i - -
undetermined.Due to time and protocol 100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
constraints, further investigation of
firearm injuries of undetermined intent 14
are usually not carried out.Also, many a
assaultive unintentional Self-Inflicted Legally Justified unknown
gunshot wound patients are unable or
FlRST seely.I'mvention Pfognun:HospUel,John Muir Medical Center data
unwilling to disclose circumstances.
Assaults were the most frequent cause
of nonfatal firearm injury hospitali- Figure 38
zations in Contra Costa (29.2 per
100,000), followed by unintentional
(4.9 per 100,000),self-inflicted(0.7 per Payment Sources for Firearm Hospitalizations
100,000),and police-inflicted shootings contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
(0.2 per 100,000).
Unknown Other
Cost and Source 172% 2.3%
of Payment
A conservative estimate places the Private Insurance
18.2%
societal cost of firearm injuries in the
United States at about $200 billion. Uninsured
Eighty percent of the medical cost of 46.0%
firearm injuries are paid for by taxpayers
(Rice et al, 1989).The,cost of firearm Public Insurance
injury to American society is absorbed 16.3%
by various payers: federal (e.g., n=472
Medicare, Medicaid), state, and local FIRST Sw*,Prevention Prog,e Hospltal,John Muir MadcodCeMerdata
governments, private insurance,
workers` compensation, and private Figure 39
individuals.
Method of Payment used public insurance (e.g., Medicare, Cost and Method of
Medi-Cal, Victim of Crime, Workers' Payment Source
Among the firearm victims treated at Compensation, Basic Adult Care),and y
area hospitals and the John Muir 2.3% (n=11) used other methods of In Contra Costa County, hospitali-
Medical Center, 46.0% (n=217) were payment. Of the remaining 17.2% zation costs for firearm injuries totalled
uninsured (e.g., self-pay, charity), (n=81), the method of payment was $5,329,599 dollars fromjuly 1, 1993 to
18.2% (n=86) used private insurance unknown or the data were missing.(See June 30, 1994.Private insurance paid a
(e.g., PPO or HMO), 16.3% (n=77) figure 39.) total of$1.5 million, public insurance
42 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part 11
paid $1.3 million, the uninsured paid
$300,000, and $8,527.09 came from Hospitalization Cost by Type of Injury
other sources.The payment source was
unknown for$2.2 million ofhospitali- Contra Costa county,July 1,t993-June 30,1994
zation costs. Millions of Dollars
5 4.6
Cost and Intent of Injury
Hospitalization for assaults cost$4.6
million,self-inflicted injuries$370,000, 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
unintentional injuries$150,000,injuries
of unknown intent $240,OOO, and 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
legally justified injuries $14,000. (See
figure 40.) 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0.37 0.15 r 0.24
0.014
0
AssauRive Self-inflicted Unintentional Unknown LegallyJustlfled
FlRST Sa,dy,Premftn Pmgmm Fbq"s-,d Jot Mir Madful C~da0a
Receiving .
Hospitals Figure 40
Combined emergency room and Receiving Hospitals for Firearm Victims
hospitalization data revealed that the Contra costa County,Juty;1,1ss3-June 30,1994
majority(48.5%,n=229)of the firearm n=472,
injury victims were taken to John Muir John Muir 46.5%
Medical Center's trauma center in
Brookside 22.6%,
Walnut Creek.County trauma protocol
currently dictates that anyone with a Kaiser Richmond 8.1% ;
penetrating firearm injury be trans- Delta Memorial 6.1%
ported to John Muir Medical Center. Los Medanos 42%
The remainder of the cases were taken
Merrithew 3.6%'
to Brookside Medical Center in San
Pablo (22.6%, n=108), Kaiser other Hospitals 3.6%; ;
Richmond (8.1%, n=38), Delta Doctors 1.9% '
Memorial in Antioch(6.1%,n=29),Los Mt.Diablo 1.1% '
Medanos in Pittsburg (4.2%, n=20), o% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Merrithew in Martinez (3.6%, n=17), FIRST Sh*,Prevention Program Hospital,John MurMedical Centardata
other surrounding hospitals (3.6%,
h=17), Doctor's Hospital in Pinole
(1.9%, n=9), and Mt. Diablo Hospital Figure 41
in Concord(1.1%,n=5).Another 1.1%
were found in the John Muir non-trauma comprised 8.2% (n=26)of the firearm collected from all hospitals(excluding
registry (which was a separate injury hospitalization cases that were John Muir Medical Center).
computerized ER log in which non-
trauma walk-ins and BB and pellet gun
injuries were captured). The other Mode of Transport to
surrounding hospitals included
Children's Hospital, Oakland (0.6%, Receiving Hospital
n=3), Highland Hospital, Oakland
(1.5%, n=7), and Kaiser Oakland Nearly half of gunshot victims were modes of transport; followed by
(0.4%,n=2). (See figure 41.) taken to the emergency room (49.4%, ambulance (43.2%, n=105), unknown
Transfer cases, which are gunshot n=120, excluding John Muir Trauma or`.missing(6.2%,n=15),and the police
wound victims that were transferred to Center) by private means, i.e. family (1.2%, n=3).
another hospital for treatment, member,stranger,self,or other private
Results and Analysis, Part 11 The FIRST Project Report 43
Injury Severity/ Scores
Specifying injury severity is an
essential function of injury epide-
miology. Severity scores are used in Contra costa County,Juy 1,1993-June 30,1994
acute and follow-up medical care to n=229
soPercerrt Hospftallzed
triage patients (Le_decide where and
by whom patients should be treated), 42•4%
plan the different levels of care needed 40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
according to severity distributions,and
29.3x
evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. - - ' - ' - ' - - - - - - ' - ' - - - - - -
Epidemiologists use severity scores to
establish minimal criteria for the surveil- 20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
lance of injury and to measure the effects 12-x° 10.9%
of energy and other factors on injury 10
severity, including the effects on 4.3%
mortality, disability and cost (Baker, 0
1 2 3 4 5
1983). as score
The Abbreviated Injury Scale(AIS)is FIRST sway.PmwnfionPwg +:John Muir►odicalcanWdata
seldom used for triage,but is used in the
evaluation of medical care outcomes and Figure 42
costs.The scoring procedure has been
simplified into a standardized computerized emergency department moderate injury, 3 is a serious injury,4
instrument that can be used in case records;AIS scores were not collected is a severe injury, 5 is a critical injury,
abstractions from medical records at other hospitals. Other hospitals and 6 is considered unsurvivable.Of the
(Barancik and Chatterjee, 1981). -measured severity of injury by number of gunshot injury patients
The AIS score was collected.-for determining the most severe injury treated at John Muir Medical Center
gunshot injury patients at John Muir reported.AIS is measured on a scale of (n=229), the majority (42.4 %, n=97)
Medical Center as part of the Center's 1 to 6. One is a minor injury, 2 is a suffered from a minor firearm injury,
Hospitalizations by Intent and AIS
Contra Costa County, July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994
n=229
100
89 AIS Score
IC31 ®2 =3 M4 i/5
80 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
61
60 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
40 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 25
20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5
3 3 1 3 0 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
Assault Unintentional Self-Inflicted Legally Justified Unknown
FIRST Study,Prevention Program:John Muir Medical Center data
Figure 43
44 The FIRST Project Report Results and Analysis, Part 11
29.3% (n=67) from a serious firearm
injury, 12.7% (n=29) from a moderate Hospitalizations by AIS Score and Length of Stay
gunshot injury, 10.9% (n=25) from a contra costa county,July 1,1993-June 30,1994
serious injury, and 4.3% (n=10)from a n=229
critical injury. The average AIS a vera go Length of Say pays)
experienced in the study group was a 12
10.8
moderate injury(mean AIS=2.2).(See
figure 42.)
AISby Intent of 8 - - - - - - - -7.1 " - - - -B- - ` - - -'.5- - -
Y Injury i�
The majority of the assaults (43.6%, B - - - _ - -
n=89)were classified as minor injuries 4 -3.6-
(AIS
3s_(AIS 1), yet a substantial proportion
(29.9%,n=61)were classified as serious, 2
AIS 3. The remainder of the assaults
were distributed as follows: 12.7% °
1 2 3 4 5
(n=26)moderate,AIS 2; 12.3%(n=25) AIS score
severe,AIS 4;and 1.5% (n=3)critical FlRSTSWdy,Prov.nmnProgren,:J,nnMurM.alcalca,b.ma
AIS 5. Figure 44
The majority of self-inflicted firearm
John Muir Medical trauma center, received the most experienced was a puncture wound,
injuries admitted toJo
Center were classified h minor dica, number of seriously injured people.The graze/laceration, fracture, or multiple
n=5), and the remainder were divided average length of stay in the hospital wound.The average LOS was less than
orrespondedwith the severity of injury one day for all injury types,except for
equally(18.2%each)between moderate c
(n=2),serious(n=2),and critical(n=2). experienced i.e., the more severe the multiple gunshot wounds, where the
(See figure 43.) injury, the longer the patient stayed average LOS was 2.3 days.
hospitalized.The average length of stay
Average was higher for those who survived their Length of Stay by Intent
injury (mean LOS = 6.1 days) than Of 'Injury
those who died(mean LOS=3.1 days).
Length of Stay (See figure 44.) The average length of stay was longest
for suicides attempted by firearm, 5.9
John Muir Medical Center Emergency Room Data days, followed by assaults (4.3 days),
Since AIS was not collected at the legal intervention (3.0 days),
The average length of stay(LOS)by emergency rooms of all other hospitals, unintentional (1.0 day), and unknown
a gunshot injury victim was 5.7 days. injury severity was measured by the (0.5 days). (See figure 45.)
John Muir Medical Center, being a extent of the injury,whether the injury
Alcohol
Hospitalizations by Average Length of Stay and Intent
Contra Costa County,July 1,1993-June 30,1994 Involvement
n=453
70 Average Length of Stay(Days) Every gunshot wound victim who
6.0 5=9 comes to John Muir Medical Center
-
(JMMC) is tested for alcohol involve-
5.0 - - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ menta unless they are under 14 years of
4.3 age.Among gunshot patients tested for
4.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - alcohol involvement at JMMC, 56.3%
3.0 _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ 3.0 _ _ _ _ _ (n=129)were found not to be under the
influence of alcohol at the time of
2.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - treatment and 30.6%(n=70)were found
1.0 1.0 _ -
- o.s " from to have blood alcohol levels ranging
_ _ _ _
0.1 to 0.35.A blood alcohol level
0.0 of.08,is considered legally intoxicated.
Assaultive Sekt nflicted Unintentional Legally Justified Unknown The effect of a high blood alcohol level
raasTStudy.Pr6~69n PMmm.John Mwr Me&W rentor data depends'o n a person's level of tolerance
Figure 45 for alcohol as well as body size.
Results and Analysis, Part It The FIRST Project Report 45
Glossary
Abbreviated Injury Severity Scale condition, using information reported Homicide: The killing of one human
(AIS): Anatomical scale used by some on the death certificate. being by another. In this report, as in
hospitals to rate the severity of injuries. most health statistics, no distinction is
The scale ranges from 1 (minor injury) Case: Container which holds primer, made between criminal homicide(mur-
gun powder,and the bullet or shot.
to 6 (maximum injury, virtually der/non-negligent), manslaughter
unsurvivable). Coroner: A public officer whose pri- (through gross negligence)or justifiable
maty function is to investigate by in- homicide. Those individuals killed by
Age-specific injury rate:Generally,the quest any death thought to be from legal intervention are coded separately
number of injuries per 100,000 of a other than natural causes.The coroner by health and law.enforcement agen-
specified age group. records all deaths related to trauma,such cies.
Aggravated Assault:An unlawful attack as motor vehicle-related, drowning, Injury Rate: A statistical measure de-
or attempted attack by one person on homicide,suicide,firearm-related,etc. scribing the number of injuries observed
another person, with the intent of in- Domestic Violence: Abuse committed or expected to occur in a defined num-
flicting severe bodily injury.This type against an adult or fully emancipated ber of people(usually 100,000)during
of assault is usually accompanied by the minor who is a spouse, former spouse, a definedtime period(usually one year).
use of a weapon or other means likely cohabitant,former cohabitant,or a per- Used as an expression of the relative risk
to produce death or great bodily harm. son with whom the suspect has hada among different injuries or groups.(Na-
(U.S.Department of Justice, 1994.) child or a dating or engagement rela- tional Committee for Injury Prevention
Ammunition: Any powder, shot, or tionship. (U.S. Department of Justice, and Control[NC1PC], 1988.)
bullet used in rifles, pistols, and shot- 1994.) Intentional Injury: An injury that is
guns. E codes: Numerical codes that describe judged to have been purposely inflict-
Arrest:"...Taking a person into custody, the external cause and judged intent of ed, either by one's self(suicide) or an-
in a case and in the manner authorized injury,developed by the World Health other(homicide).(Rice et at., 1989.)
by law. An arrest may be made by a Organization as part of its International International Classification of Disease
peace officer or by a private person." Classification of Diseases system. (ICD)codes: Numerical codes devel-
(Penaf Code 834.) E codes include, for example, injuries oped by The World Health Organiza-
causedby motorvehicles,firearms,poi-
' Automatic:Firearm that loads,fires,and tion to clarify both the nature(N codes)
ejects ammunition continuously with sonings,_falls and other causes.(Rice et and external cause of illness and inju-
gger squeeze. Often confused al 1989.) ries(E codes),
one tri '
with a semiautomatic firearm.Machine Fatality: An injury that results in death. Magazine: Part of a semiautomatic fire-
guns are true automatic weapons. Firearm: Tool designed to propel a pro- arm that holds ammunition until it is
Barrel:Metal tube of a firearm through jectile by burning powder. ready to be fed into the chamber.
which the bullet or shot passes. Forcible Rape: Carnal knowledge of a Magnum: Ammunition designation
Caliber:Measurement of the inside part female, done forcibly and against her implying larger loads of powder in a
of the barrel of a firearm. Caliber is will.By U.S.Department of Justice defi- cartridge.
measured in hundredths of an inch(e.g., nition, sex assaults against men are ex- N codes: Numerical codes that describe
.45 caliber),but is also measured in mil- cluded and are classified as assaults or
limeters(e.g.,9 mm). other sex offenses, depending on the the nature of injury and the body part
nature of the crime and the extent of affected. Developed by The World
California Penal Code:The California the injury.(U.S.Department of Justice, Health „Organization as part of its
Penal Code contains statutes that de- 1994) International Classification of Diseases
fine criminal offenses, specify corre- system, N codes include head injury,
sponding punishments, and describe Gauge: Shotgun measurement that is spinal cord injury,fractures,and others
criminal justice system mandates and determined by the number of lead balls, (Rice et a1,1989).
procedures. of the same diameter as the barrel,that
it would take to weigh one pound. Pistol:Any handgun that does not con-
Cartridge:A round of ammunition that tain its ammunition in a revolving cyl-
includes primer,gun powder,an explo- Handgun: Short-barreled firearm that inder (see revolver). Pistols can be
sive cap to ignite the powder,gun cas- is usually held at arm's length, rather manually cocked or semiautomatic.
ing,.and the bullet or shot. than at the shoulder,to fire.Among the
most common types of handguns are Primer: Explosive cap used to ignite the
Cause of Death: Each individual's death revolvers and semiautomatic pistols.See powder when struck with a sharp blow
is formally attributed to one underlying diagram in Appendix M. from a gun's firing pin.
Glossary The FIRST Project Report 47
Glossary
Revolver: Firearm having a revolving agencies.The California Department of
cylinder that holds the ammunition. Justice administers and forwards the data
Ammunition (usually five or six car- for the state to the federal program.
tridges) is placed in chambers in the
cUnintentional Injury: An injury that is
cylinder, allowing the gun to be fired
judged to have occurred without any-
several times without requiring reload-
one intending that harm to be done.
ing. (Rice eta], 1989.)
Rifle: A long-barreled firearm designed
to be fired from the shoulder. Bullets
leave rifle barrels generally at a higher
velocity than they do from handgun
barrels.
Robbery: The taking or attempting to
take anything of value from the care,
custody,or control of a person or per-
sons,by force,or threat of force or vio-
lence, and/or by putting the victim in
fear.(U.S.Department of Justice, 1994.)
Semiautomatic: Refers to a type of fire-
arm action used in some shotguns,rifles,
and handguns. When fired, semiauto-
matics automatically extract and eject
the empty ammunition case and cham-
ber a new cartridge with each pull of
the trigger.
Shell: Container that holds the shot and
other parts(wad,powder,primer)of the
ammunition for shotguns.
Shot: Balls of lead or steel used to fill a
shotgun shell.
Shotgun: A long-barreled firearm that
fires many lead or steel pellets (shot)
with each discharge.
Special: Ammunition designation that
indicates differences in the ammunition
case shapes among.38 and.44 calibers.
Distinguishes newer ammunition from
older/more rare ammunition of the same
caliber.Firearms cannot use regular and.
Special ammunition of the same caliber
interchangeably.
Surveillance:The ongoing and system-
atized collection,analysis,and interpre-
tation of data in the process of describ-
ing and monitoring a health event.
(NCIPC, 1988.)
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR): A
federal reporting system that provides
data on crime based on police statistics
submitted by local law enforcement
48 The FIRST Project Report Glossary
References
Annest, J.L., Mercy,J.A., Gibson, D.R., NY:L.H.Research,inc. Teret, S,, Wintemute, G., Beilenson, P.
Ryan G.W. 1995.National estimates of non- 1992.The firearm fatality reporting system:
fatal firearm-related injuries,beyond the tip Ketlermann,A.L.,Rivara,EP,Somes,G., A proposal.Journal of the American Medi-
of the iceberg. Journal of the American Reay, D.T., Francisco, J., Banton, J.G., cal Association.267:3073-3074.
Prodzinski,J., Fligner, C., Hackman, B.B.
Medical Association.273(22):1749-1754. 1992.Suicide in the home in relation to gun United States Department of Justice. 1994.
Baker,S.P. 1983. Panel:Current status of ownership.New England journal of Medi- Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook.
trauma severity indices.Journal of Trauma. cine. 327:467-472. Washington,DC: Federal Bureau of inves-
23:193-196. Kellerman,A.L.,Reay,D.T. 1986.Protec- tigation.
Balogh,J.J., Leahy,S.M.,Valverde,M.R. tion or peril?An analysis of firearm-related Williams,K.R. 1984.Economic sources of
1992.Status Report on Childhood Injury in deaths in the home. New England Journal homicide:Reestimating the effects of pov-
Contra Costa County. Pleasant Hill, CA: of Medicine.314(24):1557-60. erty and inequality.American Sociological
Contra Costa County Health Services Pre- Loftin,C.,Hill R.H. 1974.Regional sub- Review.49:283-289.
vention Program. culture and homicide.American Sociologi- Wintemute,G.J.,Wright,M.A. 1992.ini-
Barancik,J.1.,Chaterjee,B.F. 1981.Meth- cal Review.39:714-724. tial andsubsequent costs of firearm injuries.
odological considerations in the use of the Max,W.,Rich,D.P.1993.Shooting in the The Journal of Trauma.33:556-560.
abbreviated injury scale in trauma epidemi- dark:Estimating the cost of firearm injuries. Wintemute,G.,Hancock,M.,Loftin, L.,
ology.Journal of Trauma.21:627-63 i. Health Affairs. 12(4):171-185. McGuire,A.,Pertschuk,M.,Teret,S.1992.
Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms. Mercy,J.A. 1993.The public health im- Policy options of firearm violence.in:Fire-
1991.Printout.Office of Public Affairs. pact of firearm injuries.Americanjournalof arm Injuries: A Public Health Approach.
California Department of Health Services. Preventive Medicine.9(Suppl. 1):8-11. Conference proceedings from "Handgun
1994. California Public Health Statistical Injuries:A Public Health Approach."Iowa
Report, Vital Statistics. Sacramento, CA: National Committee for Injury Prevention City,IA:University of Iowa.
Department of Public Health. and Control. 1988.Injury Prevention:Meet-
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Centers for Disease Control. 1992. Set- University Press.
ting the National Agenda for Injury Con-
trol in the /990's:Position Papers from the Pacific Center for Violence Prevention.
1994.Preventing
Third National Injury Control Conference. Youth Violence:Reducing
AAccess to Firearms.San Francisco,CA:Pa-
Atlanta,GA:Centers for Disease Control.
cific Center for Violence Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control. 1993.Injury
Control in the 1990s:A National Plan for Rice, D.P., MacKenzie, E.J., and Associ-
Action. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease ates. 1989. Cost of Injury in the United
Control. States:A Report to Congress.San Francisco,
CA: institute for Health and Aging, Uni-
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Sheley,LE,Wright,J.D. 1993. Gun Ac-
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References The FIRST Project Report 49
APPENDIX A
FIRST Project Reporting Forms
Appendix A The FIRST Project Report A-1
FIRST Law Enforcement Data Reporting Form
Please complete for each gunshot victim (7/1/93 to 6/30/94)
Your name: Today's date:
Your department: Case number:
Code section: ❑ PC 245 A.-2 ❑ PC 187 ❑ PC 187-664 ❑ other:
ENVIRONMENT/CIRCUMSTANCES OF SHOOTING
Date of shooting: Time of shooting(24 hour clock):
Street address: City:—
Location(check all that apply): Cl victim's home ❑ other residence ❑ victim's workplace
❑ school ❑ store/commercial ❑ vacant building/unit ❑ park
❑ empty lot ❑ street/parking lot ❑ victim in car/vehicle ❑ other
Clrcuttlstances(check all that apply): ❑ sexual assault ❑ argument/fight ❑ robbery
❑ victim walking/standing (but not drive-by) ❑ drive-by ❑ suicide attempt
f
I,
❑ unintentional/accident ❑ police fire ❑ other
i' VICTIM INFORMATION
Sex: 4 male ❑ female ❑ unknown Age:. years ❑ unknown
Race: ❑ Asian/PI ❑ Black ❑ Latino ❑ White ❑ Other ❑ unknown
City of residence: ❑ unknown
Relationship to suspect: ❑ spouse/lover (cunentorex) ❑ other family member
❑ acquaintance (close or distant) a stranger ❑ other' ❑ unknown
Hospital care:(name of hospital) when:(datemime) chart#: _
it
SUSPECT INFORMATION (person suspected of shooting victim)
Sex: ❑ male ❑ female ❑ unknown Age: years a unknown
l;
Race: ❑ Asian/PI ❑ Black ❑ Latino ❑ White ❑ Other ❑ unknown
Was arrest made? ❑ yes ❑ warrant issued ❑ no, lack of evidence ❑ other ❑unk:nown
i, INFORMATION ON FIREARM INVOLVED IN SHOOTING
I .
Firearm type: ❑ semi-auto handgun ❑ revolver ❑ rifle ❑ shotgun ❑ other ❑ unknown
Caliber: ❑ 9 m ❑ .380 ❑ .357 magnum ❑ .38 special ❑ .22 ❑ other ❑ unknown
brand name: ❑ unknown
I
COMMENTS: —
I Please return to: Heather McLaughlin,Project Coordinator- -646-6511, fax: 646-6520;
fContra Costa Health Services Prevention Program,75 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
t
a a
FIRST Hospital Data Reporting Form
Please complete for each gunshot wound patient(711193 to 6130194)
Your name: Today's date:
Your hospital: Medical record number.
Date of gsw injury: Time of emergency room/dept admission(24 hour dock):
Method of transport: ❑ ambulance ❑ helicopter ❑ police
❑ family/acquaintance ❑ stranger ❑ self ❑ other ❑ unknown
PATIENT INFORMATION
Sex: ❑ male ❑ female ❑ unknown
Race: ❑ Asian/Pi ❑ Black o Latino ❑ White ❑ Other ❑ unknown
Age: years ❑ unknown Zip code of residence: ❑ unknown
Was patient under influence of alcohol or drugs at time of care? ❑ yes ❑ no ❑ unknown
Location(s) of body wound(s):❑ head/neck❑ trunklchest❑ upper limb ❑ lower limb ❑ unknown
Most severe injury: ❑ puncture wound ❑ graze/laceration ❑fracture ❑ other ❑ unknown
Were trauma criteria met? ❑ yes ❑ no ❑ unknown
Likely circumstance for gsw(check alt that apply): ❑ inflicted by self ❑ inflicted by other ❑ police fire
❑ unintentional/accident ❑ suicide (attempt orsuccess) ❑ assault/homicide (attempt or success)
❑ unknown ❑ other
Patient disposition:❑ admitted to hospital ❑ discharged ❑ died in emergency care
❑ transferred to: ❑ other ❑ unknown
Clinical outcome following hospital admission (or expected outcome):
❑ full recovery ❑ partial recovery ❑ died in hospital ❑ unknown
Length of stay: days .. .
PAYMENT INFORMATION
Source of payment for medical care: ❑ HMO ❑ insurance ❑ Medi-Cat
❑ other government ❑ self pay ❑ other ❑ unknown
Hosp. charges for emerg. care: $ Additional physician emerg. care charges: $
Hosp. charges for inpatient care:$ Additional physician inpatient care changes:$
Comments:
Please return to: Heather McLaughlin, Project Coordinator-s 646-6511,laic 646-6520
Contra Costa Health Services Prevention Program,75 Santa Barbara Rd,Pleasant Hill, CA M23
APPENDIX B
CPC Charges .and UCR Classifications
In order to identify all potential reports tion of"homicide,"CPC charges do not according to UCR classi fications.These
of shooting victims in law enforcement indicate the injury status of crime classifications are names of crime
records,FIRST staff developed a listing victims. Charges of "rape," "robbery," categories. For example, "willful/non-
of both CPC charges and UCR cate- and "assault" may or may not involve negligent homicide" is a UCR Classi-
gories which might involve firearm physical injuries. For example, an fication.
injuries. (See Figure i.) Law enforce- incident in which a victim is directly UCR reporting procedures require
ment agencies then used these lists to threatened with a gun is considered an that for crime incidents involving
search their records and ascertain which assault, whether or not the victim is multiple offenses, the offense that is
reports fell into these classifications. injured. highest in the offense classification
hierarchy (and therefore carries the
California Penal Code Uniform Crime Report most serious punishment) must be
(CPC) Charge (UCR) Classifications assigned as the primary offense. (A
partial offense classification hierarchy is:
Classifications Each law enforcement agency in criminal homicide, forcible rape,
California voluntarily submits crime robbery, and aggravated assault.) If a
California Penal Code(CPC)Charges statistics to the State Department of victim is shot in the arm and then
are numerical criminal charges. For justice, Bureau of Criminal Statistics robbed,for example,the incident would
example, "CPC 187" is a homicide. (BCS)in the form of a monthly Uniform : be classified in a UCR summary as a
When a crime is committed, the law Crime Report (UCR) summary. The "robbery," because "robbery" precedes
enforcement officer investigating the BCS then consolidates these reports for "aggravated assault" in the offense
crime fills out an offense report and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's hierarchy. Uniform Crime Reports do
determines which CPC charge to assign Uniform Crime Reporting program not include data about suicides or.
to each offense committed,a procedure (FBI-UCR), which compiles the UCR "accidents," with the exception of
that can result in numerous charges for summaries into annual Uniform Crime "manslaughter by gross negligence,"
one crime incident. The, District Reports. which falls under the UCR"homicide"
Attorney makes the final decision about UCR summaries are prepared by each category. When classifying reports for
which charges to pursue. (The District local law enforcement agency's statistics a UCR summary,the statistics unit may
Attorney's decisions did not affect the unit, which reviews its department's change the crime's classification from
results of this report.)With the excep- offense reports and re-classifies them thargiven by the officer who conducted
the original investigation.
Appendix B The FIRST Project Report B-1
Lists of CPC Charges and UCR Classifications
that Potentially Correspond with FIRST Classifications
FIRST Classification California Penal Code(CPC) UCR Classification
(injuries or deaths due to firearms only. Charge Classification
The basis for classification is in
parentheses)
Homicide(based on UCR definitions 187 (homicide) Willful/non-negligent homicide
for willful/non-negligent homicide)
Assault*(based on UCR definitions 261 (rape); 211 (robbery); Forcible rape;
for rape, robbery, or aggravated 211-664(attempted robbery); Robbery with firearm;
assault with firearm,and CA 212.5(residential armed robbery); Aggravated assault with firearm
Penal Code Charge 246) 215 (carjack);
245 (assault, including some
subclassifications;e.g., 245A2);
187-664(attempted homicide);
246(shoot at inhabited dwelling,
vehicle, etc.) 4
Completed suicide(based on No such charge Not counted
coroner determination)
Attempted suicide(based on No such charge Not counted
police accounts)
Fatal unintentional (based on 187(homicides determined to be Manslaughter by gross
UCR definition for manslaughter manslaughter by gross negligence) negligence(if considered ,
by gross negligence and police No charge if determined to be accidental, not counted in UCR)
accounts of accidental fatalities) accidental death
Nonfatal unintentional (based on Generally no charge,though acts of Not counted
police accounts of accidental injuries) negligence may be charged(e.g., 246)
Legally justified fatal(based on 196.2(officer killed suspect in line Justified homicide
police accounts, these are incidents of duty)
in which the offender acted in 187(the District Attorney or adjudication
accordance with CA law for legal process determines whether justified)
justification")
Legally justified nonfatal(based on 245(the District Attorney or No such category(counted as
police accounts, these are incidents in adjudication process determines the crime being committed by the
which the shooter acted in accordance whether justified) person who is shot)
with CA law for legal justification`*)
Undetermined (based on police No such charge No such category
accounts; injury classification deemed
impossible)
Fig.i
*Assaults include any intentionally inflicted,nonfatal shootings that,according to police accounts,were intended solely to harm the
injured person.
**Legal justification for the use of deadly force according to California Penal Code include Sections 196(public officers,legal duty);
197(prevent an atrocious felony);or 196.5(home protection;fear of death or great bodily injury).
B-2 The FIRST Project Report Appendix B
APPENDIX C
Firearm Injury Totals
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
INTENT FATAL NONFATAL TOTAL
Or
INJURY Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Homicide 111 18.1 111 18.1
Assault 310 50.5 310 50.5
Self-Inflicted 40 6.5 7 1.1 47 7.7
Unintentional 2 0.3 48 7.8 50 8.2
Legally 4 0.7 6 1.0 10 1.6
Justified
Undetermined 0 0 85 13.9 85 13.9
Total 157 25.6 456 74.4 613 100
Fig.ii
Appendix C The FIRST Project Report C-1
Dd
APPENDIX D
Firearm Injuries by Intent and Victim Race/Ethnicity
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
INTENT African White Asian/Other Latino No Total
OF American Data
INJURY
# Rate # Rate # Rate # Rate
Assault 202 251.2 50 8.5 15 16.0 39 36.0 4 310
Homicide . 71 88.3 21 3.6 4 4.3 14 12.9 1 111
Self-Inflicted 3 3.7 39 6.6 2 2.1 3 2.8 0 47
Unintentional 13 16.2 24 4.1 0 0 7 6.5 6 50
Legally 3 3.7 4 0.7 0 0 3 2.8 0 10
Justified
Undetermined 44 15 ------ 4 ------ 9 ------ 13 85
Total 336 417.8 153 25.9 25 26.7 75 69.3 24 613
.]:
Fig.iii Rates are per 100,000
Appendix D The FIRST Project Report D-1
APPENDIX E
Poverty, Unemployment and Firearm Injuries. by County Region
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
Poverty and Unemployment 1990 U.S.Census
Re ion WUnem to ment % Below Pov2rty
West 7.2 11.7
East 6.7 9.5
Central 3.4 .4.7
South 2.6 1.8
Fig.iv
Firearm Assault Rates and Numbers
Re ion Rate Number Population Denominator
West 112.6 243 215,836
East 30.3 50 165,003
Central 4.2; 14 335,670
South 0 0 87,223
Fig.v
Firearm Homicide Rates and Numbers
Region Rate Number Population Denominator
West 38.9 84 215,836
East 13.3 22 165,003
Central 1.8 6 335,670
South 1.1 1 87,223
Fig.A
Rates are per 100,000
Denominators are from 1990 Census figures
Assault and homicide data are from the FIRST Project
Appendix E The FIRST Project Report E-1
Firearm Suicide Rates and Numbers
Region Rate Number Population Denominator
West 6.0 13 215,836
East 6.7 11 165,003
Central 4.8 16 335,670
South 4.6 4 87,223
Fig.vii
Rates are per 100,000
Denominators are from 1990 Census figures
Suicide data are from the FIRST Project
E-2 The FIRST Project Report Appendix E
APPENDIX F
Firearm Assault Rates by Victim Sex and Age
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
Age Male Rate per Female Rate per
100,000 100,000
0 to 4 1 3.1 0 0
5to9 2 6.4 0 0
10 to 14 6 19.4 5 17.0
15 to 19 71 237..5 9 31.6
20 to 24 71 253.6 5 18.0
25 to 29 39 128.7 3 9.4
30 to 34 28 85.3 5 14.3
35 to 39 21 -,58.7 4 10.4
40 to 44 11 30.4 3 7.7
45 to 49 6 19.6 1 3.1
50 to 54 9 34.8 0 0
55 to 59 2 9.8 0 0
60 to 64 0 0 1 5.3
65 to 69 1 6.8 1 5.8
70 to 74 1 8.7 0 0
75 + 0 0 0 0
Total 273 64.4 37 8.2
Fig.viii
Appendix F The FIRST Project Report F-1
APPENDIX G
Firearm Homicide Rates by Victim Sex and Age
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
Age Male Rate per Female Rate per
100,000 100,000
0to4 0 0 0 0
5 to 9 0 0 1 3.3
10 to 14 0 0 0 0
15 to 19 15 50.2 1 3.5
20 to 24 28. 100.0 2 7.2
25 to 29 18 59.4 1 3.1
30 to 34 13 39.6 4 11.4
35 to 39 8 22.4 3 7.8
40 to 44 3 8.3 1 2.6
45 to 49 2 6.5 1 3.1
50 to 54 1 3.9 0 0
55 to 59 2 9.8 1 4.6
60 to 64 0 0 0 0
65 to 69 0 0 0 0
70 to 74 0 0 1 6.9
75 + 0 0 0 0
Total 94 22.2 17 3.8
Fig.Ix
Appendix G The FIRST Project Report G-1
APPENDIX H
Firearm Assault Rates by Victim Age and Race/Ethnicity
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
Age African White Asian/Other Latino
American
0to4 12.8 0 0 0
5 to 9 27.4 0 0 0
10 to 14 130.9 2.8 0 0
15 to 19 812.6 19.7 27.8 175.7
20 to 24 865.4 11:8 46.8 162.6
25 to 29 419.4 20.3 86.0 21.0
30 to 34 393.2 11.3 25.9 10.4
35 to 39 217.3 19.8 0 11.4
40 to 44 129.9 7.5 0 27.4
45 to 49 60.0 6.6 0 18.3
50 to 54 121.7 7.6 0 0
55 to 59 0 0 51.4 0
60 to 64 0 3.6 0 0
65 to 69 0 3.9 0 0
70 to 74 0 4.7 0 0
75 + 0 0 0 0
Total 251.2 8.5 16.0 36.0
Fig.x All rates are per 100,000
Appendix H The FIRST Project Report H-1
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APPENDIX I
Firearm Assault and Homicide Rates
by City or Unincorporated Area
Contra.Costa County ..
July. 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
City/Area Assaults Rate Homicides Rate Total Total 1994
Rate Population
Antioch 16 22 1 8 1''1 1 24 33"2 < 72;263
Bay Point 9 51.1; 4 22.'O::: 13 74 5 97,453*
Bethel Island 0 0 2 2 94:6 2,115 .
Blackhawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 ------
Brentwood 219. 2 19 1 4 38.2 10,467
Byron 1aot 0 0" 1 not ------
aV ail• avail.
Concord 12 10: 4 3.5 16 14:0 113,927
Crockett 1 31:0 1 310. 2 62;0 3,228
Danville 0 LAM1 2 9 1 2 9 ,`. . 34,972
East Brentwood 0 0 0 0 0 0 ------
East Richmond 0 0. 0 0 0 0 ------
EI Cerrito 1 4 2` 1 4 2, 2 $.5 23,581
EI Sobrante 1 10 2 1 10 2, 2 20,3 9,852*
Hercules 0 Q 1 5.3 " 1 5.•3" 18,898
Lafayette 0 0 0 0" 0 Q, ------
Martinez 2 5 6 "'' 0 0 2 5.6 ! 35,539
Moraga 0 0 0 0 0 0
North Richmond 13 553,9. "' 15 639 1.. 28 1193.Q 2,347*
Oakley 3 16 3 1 5 4 4 18,374*
Pinole 1 5 Vii, 0 0 1 5 5 18,317
Pittsburg 19 37;4 5 9.8 24 47.3 50,789
Fig.A(continued on the next page)
Appendix I The FIRST Project Report 1-1
City Assaults Rate Homicides Rate Total Total 1994
� � Rate
Population
Richmond 187 2Q1 8 48 5Q 7 235 253 8 92,644
Rodeo 4 527, <.' 0 b .. ' 4 52.7 7,589
San Pablo 33 128 0 13 49.7 46 178 8 26,181
San Ramon 0 0 0 0 0 0 ------
Walnut Creek 0 g ` fla o 1 1 ti 1 1 6 62,859
Concordt 0 0 1 T1pt 1 not ------
avail
San Pablot 5 not, 1 .not 6 ..not -----
aYatl
Walnut Creekt 0 0 0 0 0 0 ------
Total 310 110 420 -----
Fig.A(continued from previous page) Rates are per 100,000
"1990 Census data used for population of unincorporated areas
tUnincorporated area located within city limits
1-2 The FIRST Project Report Appendix I
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APPENDIX J
Firearm Suicides
Contra Costa County
July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
By Data Source
Data Source Total Fatal Non-
Coroner 18 18 ------
Hospital 5 0 5
Law 24 21 3
Total 47 39 8
Fig.xiv
BY Victim Sex
Sex Number Percent Rate per 100,000
Unknown 1 2.1 -
Male 37 78.7 8.7
Female 9 19.1 2
Total 47 99.9 5.4
Fig.xv
By Victim Race/Ethnici
Race/Ethnicity Number Percent Rate per 100,000
White 39 83 6.6
African American 3 6.4 3.7
Latino 3 6.4 2.8
Asian 2 4.3 2.1
Total 47 100.1 5.4
Fig.xvi
Appendix J The FIRST Project Report J-1
D6 �,
By Victim Age and Sex
Age Female Rate per Male Rate per
100,000 100,000
10 to 14 0 0 2 6.5
15 to 19 0 0 4 13.4
20 to 24 1 3.6 2 7.1
30 to 34 2 5.7 4 13.2
35 to 39 1 2.6 3 9.1
40 to 44 0 0 3 8.3
.45 to 49 1 3.1 1 3.3
50 to 54 2 7.3 3 11.6
60 to 64 0 0 6 35.4
65 to 69 0 0 1 6.8
70 to 74 0 0 3 26.1
75 to 79. 1 8.3 3 35.5
80 to 84 0 0 1 21.0
85 + 0 0 0 0
Total 8 2.0 37 8.7
Fig.xvii
J-2 The FIRST Project Report Appendix J
t
APPENDIX K
Firearm Suicides by City or Unincorporated Area
Contra Costa County
July, 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994
City/Area Number Percent Rate per 100,000
Antioch 5 10.6 6.9
Baypoint 1 2.1 5.7
Byron 1 2.1 not available
Concord 6 12.8 5.3
Danville 2 4.3 5.7
East Bay 1 2.1 not available
Regional Park
EI Cerrito 1 2.1 4.2
Lafayette 1 2.1 4.2
Martinez 1 2.1 2.8
Oakley 2 4.3 10.9
Pinole 1 2.1 5.5
Pittsburg 2 4.3 3.9
Pleasant Hill 2 4.3 6.2
Port Costa 1 2.1 not available
Richmond 4 8.5 4.3
San Pablo 6 12.8 22.9
San Ramon 2 4.3 5.1
Walnut Creek 6 12.8 9.5
Missing 2 4.3 not available
Total 47 100.1 5.4
Fig.xviii .
Appendix K The FIRST Project Report K-1
APPENDIX L
Unintentional Firearm Injuries
Contra Costa County.
July 1, 1993 -.June 30, 1994
BY Outcome
Fatal Rate per Nonfatal Rate per Unknown
100,000 100,000 Outcome
IL_2 0.2 42 4.8 6
Fig.xix
BY Victim Sex
IF- Sex Number Rate per 100,000
Male 42 9.9
Female 8 1.2
Fig.xx
By Victim Race/Ethnicity
IFRace/Ethnicity Number Rate per 100,000
Unknown 6 ------
African American 13 16.2
Latino 7 6.5
White 24 4.1
Asian/Other 0 0
Total 50 5.7
Fig.xxi
Appendix L The FIRST Project Report L-1
By Victim Age
Age Number Rate per 100,000
10 to 14 9 14.9
IF-
15 to 19 8 13.7
20 to 24 8 14.4-
.25
4.4...25 to.29 4,. 6.4
30 to 34 5 7.4
35 to 39 3 4
40 to 44 2 .2.7
45 to 49 3 4.8
50 to 54 2 3.8
55 to 59 1 2.4
60 to 64 2 5.6
: . 75 to 79
2 9.8.
85 + 1 9.1.
Fig.xxii
L-2 The FIRST Project Report Appendix L
( �t -pI t
APPENDIX M
Firearm Diagrams
Appendix M The FIRST Project Report M-1
Two Types of Handguns
parts usually include:
ejection port slide
hammer
barrel/muzzle
safety
O
' trigger
trigger
guard
O grip
magazine `a azine
wel l
0
0
0
0
0
revolvers
parts usually include:
cylinder
barrel
hammer
muzzle
) CO
cylinder release
extractor
rod
chambers grip
trigger
guard trigger
Fig.xxiii
Types of Ammunition
i • I i C MM shdtgun shell
parts usually include: parts usually include:
bullet
shot
cartridge pbl sdtic
case y
(hull)
powder :"" `" � wad
^`�`'�.in.^"'S`w^.''i.`".�...0^.��.`.n^YCn
U 1111-M powder
isa`sis ^:�-:ys .:a .M:::ilr�
yy... .;p.,;y..... ,.t3:'i''�`....:-C: '
r• x -:^ �w, :~: brass head
�';"'...yr;� �• :fi)�!il�>^l�.�k.��1.^-•
primerM
primer
Fig.xxiv
APPENDIX N
Map of Contra Costa County
Appendix N The FIRST Project Report N-1
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