WASHINGTON — Wisconsin has the nation’s third-highest Black homicide victimization rate according to the 20th edition of the Violence Policy Center’s (VPC) annual report Black Homicide Victimization in the United States. Both Wisconsin and Illinois had a Black homicide victimization rate of 38.6 per 100,000 in 2024. 

Using the most recent data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report found that there were 10,533 Black homicide victims nationwide in 2024. The national Black homicide victimization rate of 22.4 per 100,000 was more than 3.5 times the overall U.S. homicide rate (6.2 per 100,000) and 6.4 times the white homicide victimization rate (3.5 per 100,000). 

For WISCONSIN, the study found that in 2024: 

  • There were 157 Black homicide victims. Of these victims, 134 (85.4%) were male and 23 (14.6%) were female.
  • Wisconsin tied with Illinois for the third-highest Black homicide victimization rate (38.6 per 100,000) in the nation. 
  • Black Wisconsinites were 18.8 times more likely to die by homicide than white Wisconsinites. 
  • Twenty-three Black homicide victims were younger than 18 years of age (14.6%). 
  • Guns were used in the deaths of 85.4% of Black homicide victims. 
  • For homicides in which the relationship or circumstances could be identified, 68.3% of victims were killed by someone they knew and 75.0% were not related to the commission of any other felony. 

Nick Matuszewski, executive director of the WAVE Educational Fund, states, “No Wisconsinite should be more likely to lose their life to homicide because of the color of their skin. This report is a reminder that while gun violence affects every community, we must confront the inequities driving its deadliest impacts. The evidence is clear, and lawmakers can no longer afford to look the other way. We need sustained investments in community violence intervention, stronger gun violence prevention laws, and policies that address the root causes of violence. Every day we fail to act is another day Wisconsin families pay the price.”

Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, states, “The role played by firearms in fueling this public health crisis in Wisconsin and across the nation is a national shame. Every number in this report represents a life lost, a family shattered, and a community scarred. We hope that this study acts as one more tool for those in Wisconsin working to reduce this lethal toll.”  

The states with the highest Black homicide victimization rates in 2024 were: Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Louisiana, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, and Arkansas (see table below). All had Black homicide victimization rates higher than the national rate.

Number of Black homicide victims and rates by state in 2024, ranked by rate

For the UNITED STATES, the study found that in 2024: 

  • There were 10,533 Black homicide victims of which 8,982 were male and 1,551 were female. 
  • While Black Americans comprise only 13.7% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 52.2% of all homicide victims. 
  • Black Americans were 6.4 times more likely to die by homicide than white Americans.
  • Guns were used in the deaths of 84.3% of Black homicide victims.
  • The homicide rate for Black female homicide victims was more than 2.5 times the overall rate for female homicide victims and more than 3.5 times the rate for white female homicide victims. 
  • For homicides in which the relationship or circumstances could be identified, 77.0% of Black victims were killed by someone they knew, 80.9% were not related to the commission of any other felony and of these 56.1% involved arguments between the victim and the offender. 
  • Homicide was the leading cause of death for Black Americans ages 10 to 24, and the second leading cause of death for Black children ages one to nine. 

The study concludes, “For Black victims of homicide, like all victims of homicide, guns are far and away the number-one murder tool. Successful efforts to reduce America’s Black homicide toll, like America’s homicide toll as a whole, must put a focus on reducing access and exposure to firearms.”

The full study is available here. Prior editions of the study can be found here.