The epidemic of gang-related homicides in Los Angeles County from 1979 through 1994
H. R. Hutson, D. Anglin, D. N. Kyriacou, J. Hart and K. Spears
Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
OBJECTIVE--To determine trends in gang homicides and the population at
greatest risk for homicide by reviewing all gang-related homicides in Los
Angeles County, California, from January 1979 to December 1994.
DESIGN--Homicide files of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department from 1979 to 1994 involving violent
street gang activity were reviewed. Gang files were reviewed for
demographic data, weapons used, homicides by drive-by shootings, and times
and geographic areas of occurrence. SETTING--Los Angeles County from
January 1, 1979, to December 31, 1994. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Age, race,
and sex of gang-related homicide victims; frequency of weapon use; and the
change in gang-related homicide rates during the study period. RESULTS--A
total of 7288 gang-related homicides occurred in Los Angeles County from
1979 through 1994; 5541 of these homicides occurred in Los Angeles Police
Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jurisdictions.
During the study period, the proportion of all homicides that were gang
related increased from 18.1% to 43.0% (P < .001). Of the 5541
gang-related homicide victims, 4580 (85.6%) were aged 15 to 34 years, 93.3%
were African American or Hispanic, 5157 (93.2%) were male, 3559 (64.2%)
were gang members, and 1408 (25.4%) occurred during drive-by shootings.
Firearms were used in an increasing proportion of homicides, from 71.4% in
1979 to 94.5% in 1994. Homicides by semiautomatic handguns dramatically
increased during the study period. Gang-related homicide rates for
African-American males aged 15 to 19 years increased from 60.50 per 100,000
population per year in 1979 to 1981 to 192.41 per 100,000 population per
year in 1989 to 1991. CONCLUSIONS--Gang-related homicides in Los Angeles
County have reached epidemic proportions and are a major public health
problem. To prevent gang violence, the root causes of violent street gang
formation must be alleviated, the cycle of violent street gang involvement
must be broken, and access to firearms must be limited.
