Homicide
WARNING
This page references topics which can be upsetting and distressing to read about. If you are feeling mentally and/or emotionally vulnerable, please take the necessary steps to protect yourself, such as contacting a trusted friend or professional.
In 2021, 112 people died at the hands of domestic violence in Pennsylvania. 56% of these people were killed by an intimate partner. In the last 10 years, more than 1,600 victims and perpetrators have died from domestic-violence related incidents in Pennsylvania. Of the 2021 deaths, 70 were female, while 42 were male. 29 of the 40 perpetrators who died, died by suicide.
Victim’s Stories, from PCADV
A 23-year-old man allegedly fatally shot his 21-year-old pregnant girlfriend before he and a friend put her body in a car and set the car on fire. The victim’s mother reporter her missing after she was last seen getting into the perpetrator’s car. When her mother called him, he claimed they had argued, and she got out of the vehicle and walked away.
PCADV
A-26-year-old man allegedly shot and killed the 30-year-old mother of his 5-month-old child after being ordered to pay child support. The perpetrator was on active duty in the Army and was in PA on leave when this happened. The perpetrator called the victim minutes before the shooting, and neighbors reported hearing the two argue before the shooting. The victim told the man on the phone many times that he should leave her alone.
PCADV
71 of the 112 deaths in PA were by firearm.
Homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant people in the United States. 20% of pregnant people experience domestic violence during their pregnancy. Firearms are the leading cause of death for pregnant domestic violence homicide victims.
Leaving a relationship doesn’t guarantee the violence will end, and therefore, leaving isn’t always the safest option. In fact, research shows that women experience an increased risk of lethal violence when they leave the intimate relationship. It is important to become familiar with lethality risk factors to best minimize these risks. Women whose partners threatened them with murder are 15 times more likely than other women to be killed. The Lethality Assessment Program was adopted by PCADV in 2012 to address the lethal nature of intimate partner violence. This is an evidence-based assessment tool used by law enforcement officers responding to intimate partner domestic violence calls. The tool uses a set of questions to determine if the victim is at an increased risk of lethality. After determining lethality, advocates should create a safety plan with a victim.