If you have issues viewing or accessing this file, please contact us at NCJRS.gov. Firearms Related Publications and Products from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Bureau of Justice Statistics. Survey of State Procedures Related tO Firearm Sales, NCJ 160763, 5/96 Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and Their Weapons Offenses and Offenders: Firearms, Crime, Victims, NCJ 153258, 3/96 and Criminal Justice--Selected Findings, Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and Their NCJ 1552841 10/95 Victims--Executive Summary, NCJ 158626, 3/96 Comparing Federal and State Prison Inmates, 1991, , National Institute of Justice NCJ 145864, 10194 Illegal Firearms: Access and Use by Arrestees, ' Criminal Victimization 1994, NCJ 158022, 4/96 NCJ 163496, 1/96 Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1993, 1995 Drug Use Forecasting: Annual Report on Adult NCJ 151657, 5/96 and Juvenile A rrestees, NCJ 161721, 6/96 Federal Firearms-Related Offenses: Federal Arrestees and Guns: Monitoring the Illegal Firearms Offenses, NCJ 148950, 7/95 Market, FS 000104, 9/95 Firearm Injury from Crime." Firearms, Crime, and Firearms'and Violence, NCJ 145533, 2/94 Criminal Justice, NCJ 160093, 4/96 Gun Acquisition and Possession in Selected Juvenile Firearms and Crimes of Violence: Selected Findings Samples, NCJ 145326, 12193 from National Statistical Series, NCJ 146844, 2/94 Kansas City Gun Experiment, NCJ 150855, ! 2/94 Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice, NCJ 154349; forthcoming NIJ Journal: Juvenile Homicide, JR 000229, 8/95 Guns & Crime, TS030003. 11/96, $5.00 Preventing Interpersonal Violence Among Youth, FS 000069, ! 1/94 Guns and Crime: Handgun Victimization, Firearm Self-Defense. and Firearm Theft, NCJ 147003, 5/94 Preventing Interpersonal Violence Among Youth." An Introduction to School. Community and Mass Media Guns Used in Crime: Firearms. Crime. and Criminal Stt:ategies. NCJ 150484, I 1/94 Justice. NCJ 148201.7/95 Smart Gun Technology Project: Final Report. Handgun Crime. Victims. NCJ 123559.7/90 N_CJ[62841 9/96, $21.25 Murder in Families. NCJ 143498, 7/94 Understanding andPreventing Violence: A PUblic Health Perspective, FS 000141.6/96 Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 1995. NCJ 158900, 10/96 Weapons-Related Victimization in Selected lnner-Cit~' High School Saniples, NCJ 15 i 526, 2/95 Survey of Criminal Histor3' Information Systems: 1993. NCJ 148951. 1/95 - - Youih Vib[e,ice_, Guns, a;id IllicitDrug Markets, -FS 0001-29.-6/96- ....... - " Survey of State Prison Inmates. 1991. NCJ 136949. 5/93 Guns & Crime Statistics Information Package~ n l \l I I Office.of Juvenile Justice Video Tapes and Delinquency Prevention Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1996 Update on Gun Control, NCJ 097224, $17.00 Violence, NCJ 159107, 2/96 Juvenile Gun Violence and Gun Markets in Boston, Juvenile Offenders and-Victims: A Natioizal Report; NCJ 160766, $19'.00 NCJ 153569, 8/95 Reducing Gun Violence: Communit)., Policing Against Juveniles and Violence: Juvenile Offending and Gun Violence, NCJ 153730, $ ! 9.00 Victimization, FS 0094 ! 9, 11/94. Youth Violence, Guns, and the Illicit Drug Markets, Reducing Youth Gun-Violence: An Overview of NCJ 152235, $19.00 . Programs and Initiatives, NCJ 154303 Taking Steps to. Reduce Youth Gun Violence, NCJ 161566, 10/96 To order any of the publications or products listed, please use one of the following methods: Mail: Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse/NCJRS Box 6000. Rockville, Maryland 20849-6000 Phone:- (800) 732-3277 World Wide Web Address: http://www.ncjrs.org NCJRS Bulletin Board System: (301) 738-8895 E-maih askncjrs @ ncj.rs.org BJS Fax-on.Demand Service: (301) 251-5550 Fax: (410)-792--4358 Guns & Crime Statistics Information Package q r Guns and Violent Crime i Criminal Justice Research Center Richard P. Kern, Ph.D., Director Research Analysts: James C. Creech, Ph.D. Joseph Fridley Lynette Greenfield Kim S. Hunt, Ph.D. Anne A. Jones Neal B. Kauder Greg B. Lilley James J. McDonough, Ph.D. Nancy A. Merritt Stan J. Orchowsky, Ph.D. Tamara M. Poulos, Ph.D. John G. Schuiteman, ph.D. Jacque[ine N. Smith Mason Research Assistants: Jeff chandler Richard Cross Kris Ragan Carolyn Williamson Report editor: James J. McDonough, Ph.D. Report design: Car lie Merritt , Division of Information Systems and Technology Comm0nWealth of Virginia Departmentof Criminal IDCj~ Justice:Services Lindsay G. Dottier, Jr., Director - January,~ - ~' Gun Report Page 57 l ableof Contents Introduction .......................................... .................. ............................... ]..... 59 Firearm and Handgun Involvement in Murder 60 Weapons Used by Juveniles Arrested for Murder in Virginia (1987-1992) ............................................................................................ 61 Types of Firearms Possessed and Used by Juveniles and Adults Offenders in Virginia .................................................................. 62 Most Common Handguns Used in Virginia Murders ( 1989-1991) ............... 64 Revolvers and Semi-Aut0nii/tic Handguns Used in Virginia Murders (1989-1991) 65 Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers inVirginia (1985 and 1992) .............. 66 Distribution of Handgun Sales by Virginia Dealers (FY 1991) .................... 67 Multiple Handgun Sales in Virginia (FY 1991) ............................................ 68 Sources of Firearms Used by Offenders ................. i ..................................... 68 Offenders and Armed Victims ...................................................................... 69 Virginia Firearm Legislation ............ i ............................................................ 70 Local Firearm Ordinances in Virginia ..................... ...................................... 71 Virginia Firearms Transaction Program Performance (1990 and 1992) ................................................................ 72 Virginia'sMandatory Firearms Penalty Enhancement Law. ..... ..=..:.: ......... 73 Acknowledgements .... : ....................................................................... .......... 74 Sources .......................... ~......... .....:,,....: ........................................................ 75- Page 58 Gun Report r Introduction In recent years, Virginia's citizens For example: More than a thousand juvenile and and government leaders have become adult offenders under the custody Of. increasingly concerned about the pro- How prevalent is the use of guns the Departments - of Corrections and liferation and misuse of firearms - in violent crimes? Youth- and Family Services, for ex- particularly handguns. The increased ~ple, ffere interviewed to: gather availability of firearms has coincided How often are juveniles involved data about how often these offenders with rapid increases in murders and. in crimes using guns? " . carried ~!nd used firearms while com- other gun-related violentcrimes,as well mitting crimes, what types of firearms as increases in juveniles committing Whaftypes of firearms are used by they used, and how .and where ,they violent crimes with guns, in the num - criminals? 0bfaiiied-t.heir firearms. The law ber of assault weapons confiscated by enf0rce~menl:homici-de files of selected police, and in the number of gun- How do criminals obtain firearms? large and small .Virg!nia localities .rel//ted ~!ncidents-in public schools. were examined to extract detailed Homicide, mainly by firearms, is now What laws exist related to the sale information about the types of firearms _the leadingcause ofdea'th among male. _ Of firearms, and.how many of- used to commit murders in.Virginia African-Americans 15 to 34 years old~ fenders 'are convicted under these during.1989, 1990 and 1991. Addi- laws? tional!y,- extensive information, was _ Despite the growing concern and gathered from the Virginia Firearms attention being focused on firearms In response to concerns about Transaction Program (VFTP) t o docu- violence, there is surprisingly little in- growing fi_r_earm_s violence and the " ment how many firearms are sold in formation available about the link lack of data needed to develop Virginia and how often illegal fire- between guns and violent crime. With- strategies to combat this. violence, arms_sales are blocked by the state's out such information, government the Secretary of Public Safety directed innovative,instant criminal records can do little to develop policies to the Department of Criminal Justice background check. reduce this violence. Services' Criminal Justice Research Center to prepare a comprehensive Much of the information collected Many questions about guns and report on firearms and crime. at the request of the Secretary .was violent:crime are debated in gov- presented to the Governor's Commis- ernment, in the media, and by the This report draws on many sources sion on Vi01entCrime to help guide public, often withoutbeing guided by of data, some of which have never its deliberations and recommenda- the sol iddataneeded.to provide much- before been available to Virginia tions concerning firearms and violent needed answers. policy-makers. Much of the datacon- CrimeFHowever, much of the more cerning the number of violent crimes detailed information was not pre- ,ing firearms in Virginia was sented to the Commission or was too t_fr-om the FBI's-national-Uni- _lengthy topresent in the C0mmmslon s U-finqe--Repo~s (LICR) database. final report. Therefore, this data is :oncernitigthe number of Vir- being presented in this separate, spe- ~on-Viciions for firearms-ri~lated cial report to be included