Table 7
Characteristics of homicides against adults, Canada, 2004 to 2008

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]85f0033m[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Symbols

Characteristics of homicides against adults, Canada, 2004 to 2008
Characteristics related to the crime Sex of the victim Total
Female Male
  number percent number percent number
Age of victim 1  
18 to 24 years 113 15 568 27 681
25 to 34 years 171 23 538 26 709
35 to 44 years 162 22 398 19 560
45 to 54 years 140 19 294 14 434
55 to 64 years 56 8 162 8 218
65 years and over 90 12 113 5 203
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
Location  
Residential 2 574 78 1,042 50 1,616
Commercial 3 23 3 180 9 203
Institutional 4 7 1 37 2 44
Public place 5 86 12 775 37 861
Other 0 0 1 0 1
Unknown 6 42 6 38 2 80
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
Weapon used  
Firearm 7 148 20 785 38 933
Knife/other piercing, cutting instrument 8 224 31 696 34 920
Club, blunt instrument 9 68 9 178 9 246
Other weapon 10 86 12 83 4 169
Physical force 11 130 18 271 13 401
Unknown 12 75 10 57 3 132
Not applicable - no weapon 13 1 0 3 0 4
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
Relationship of accused to the victim  
Spouse 14 204 28 53 3 257
Ex-spouse 15 71 10 23 1 94
Family member 16 101 14 170 8 271
Intimate relationship 61 8 34 2 95
Friends, acquaintances, others 132 18 827 40 959
Stranger 38 5 303 15 341
Not applicable - no accused 17 121 17 657 32 778
Unknown 4 1 6 0 10
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
Gang-related homicide  
Yes 25 3 487 24 512
No 676 92 1,374 66 2,050
Unknown 31 4 212 10 243
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
Motive  
Settling-of-accounts (drug/gang-related) 21 3 416 20 437
Revenge 23 3 141 7 164
Jealousy 88 12 63 3 151
Argument/quarrel 187 26 674 33 861
Frustration/anger/despair 151 21 168 8 319
Financial gain/protection of assets 18 40 5 179 9 219
Personal protection (self-defence, battered spouse) 1 0 16 1 17
Hate motivated crime 1 0 5 0 6
Fear of apprehension 8 1 15 1 23
Sexual violence 28 4 11 1 39
Mercy killing/assisted suicide 9 1 1 0 10
No apparent motive 19 51 7 92 4 143
Other 20 7 1 8 0 15
Unknown 117 16 284 14 401
Total homicides 732 100 2,073 100 2,805
1.
Excludes cases where the sex and/or age of the victim was unknown.
2.
Includes single homes/house, town house, private property structures, other residential dwelling units or apartment buildings.
3.
Includes banks or other financial institutions, convenience stores, gas stations, new or used car dealerships, bar or restaurants, or other commercial/corporate places.
4.
Includes school (during supervised activity), school (not during supervised activity), universities/colleges or other non commercial/corporate place.
5.
Includes parking lots, transit/bus shelters, subways/subway stations, other public transportation or connected facility, streets, roads, highways, open areas, or construction sites.
6.
The actual place where the incident occurred cannot be determined.
7.
Includes fully automatic firearms, rifles, sawed off rifles/shotguns, handguns and other firearm like weapons.
8.
Includes knives and other cutting/piercing instrument that would cut or pierce.
9.
Includes all articles used to club or beat someone to death.
10.
Includes explosives, fire, motor vehicle, any device used to poison.
11.
The use of body strength and/or action that is used to cause death (i.e., choking, punching, pushing).
12.
Includes all homicides where the weapon used is unknown.
13.
Includes homicides in which there was no specific weapon used to kill the victim.
14.
Includes common-law and same sex spouses.
15.
Includes separated and divorced spouses.
16.
Includes homicides committed by a parent, child, sibling or other members related by blood or adoption.
17.
No accused was identified.
18.
Includes robberies, homicides committed to obtain insurance monies or inheritances, etc.
19.
Includes mental illness, dementia, etc.
20.
Includes random killings, etc.
Source(s):
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Homicide Survey.
Date modified: