Exploring Characteristics and Situational Contexts of Firearm-Involved Homicides Against Older Men: Insights From a Domain-Centered Framework

According to the CDC, the rate of firearm-involved homicides for US men over age 50 increased 87% between 2010 and 2021. Despite this trend, little is known about these homicides as few studies examine homicide against older adults and even fewer focus on older men. This study seeks to identify the characteristics of firearm-involved homicides against older men and how they might vary across older men of different ages. To explore situational contexts of these incidents, this study uses a domain-centered framework. This study takes a mixed-methods approach that uses quantitative data from the 2022 and 2023 National Incident-Based Reporting System and qualitative data from the 2023 Gun Violence Archive. Clear distinctions are found between victims in their 50s and 60s as compared to those over 70 in terms of victim and offender demographics, relationships, and incident characteristics. By using a domain-centered framework to interpret the findings, this study emphasizes a need to expand prior home-focused explanations to account for active lifestyles including continued participation in the workforce and leisure activities among older men especially those in their 50s and 60s. This study provides the foundational knowledge necessary for future work on risk factors and tailored prevention strategies for this victim group.