Wednesday April 17, 2002 Russ Haven (NYPIRG) 518 436-0876

Andy Pelosi (NYAGV) 212-674-3710

There were 14 reported incidents of murder-suicide in New York State claiming 32 lives in the first half of 2001, according to American Roulette: The Untold Story of Murder-Suicide in the United States, a new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). Nationally at least 662 Americans died in murder-suicides during the first half of 2001, and almost all (94.5 percent) were killed with firearms, according to the study released by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Education Fund (NYAGV).

The VPC study, based on news clips collected nationwide, is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies ever conducted on murder-suicide. Using the VPC figures, more than 1,300 Americans die each year in murder-suicides. The study notes that murder-suicides range from high-profile mass shootings like the April 20, 1999, Columbine massacre to familial shootings claiming the lives of spouses and offspring. (New York State news clips available.)

Karen Brock, MPH, VPC Health Policy Analyst and study author states, "The enduring legacy of the Columbine tragedy must be the strong and clear message that guns are the catalytic component in murder-suicide. Just as important, it must be understood that the emotional factors that drive suicide can be all too easily turned outward on friends, family, co-workers and complete strangers because of the unmatched lethality of firearms. Every major murder-suicide study ever conducted has shown that a firearm—with its unmatched combination of lethality and availability—is the weapon most often used to murder the victims, with the offenders then turning the gun on themselves."

"One of the most tragic aspects of murder-suicides is that they are preventable," said NYPIRG Legislative Counsel Russ Haven. "Ironically, firearms are one of the most lethal consumer products in America, yet the least regulated for health and safety. It's time to broaden our focus to a comprehensive solution that includes federal oversight of the gun industry."

Andy Pelosi, NYAGV’s Executive Director states, "The anecdotal information collected in the VPC’s report exposes a serious public health problem and reinforces the urgent need for the development of a national injury surveillance system that would lead to effective intervention strategies, which in turn will reduce gun deaths and injuries."

For the study, the VPC used a national clipping service to collect every reported murder-suicide in the United States from January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2001. Currently there is no national tracking system for these incidents. As a result, the VPC study provides the most accurate portrait of murder-suicide in America possible.

In addition to New York, six other states had more than 10 murder-suicides during the study period: Florida (35), California (29) and Texas (29), Pennsylvania (17), Virginia (12), and Ohio (11). The most common type of murder-suicide was between two intimate partners, 73.7 percent of all murder-suicides involving an intimate partner. Of these, 93.5 percent were females killed by their intimate partners.

A copy of the report can be obtained by going to the Violence Policy Center's website at www.vpc.org.

A fax copy of the report or of the news clips can be obtained by contacting NYPIRG at 518 436-0876.

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury in America. For more information on the VPC and gun violence issues, visit www.vpc.org.