VIOLENT DEATH IN NORTH CAROLINA:
NEW HANOVER COUNTY INCIDENTS: 2004-2009
The North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System (NC-VDRS) is a CDC-funded state-wide surveillance system
that collects detailed information on deaths that occur in North Carolina resulting from violence: homicide,
suicide, unintentional firearm deaths, legal intervention, and deaths for which intent could not be determined.
NC-VDRS is a multi-source system that gathers information from death certificates, medical examiner reports,
and law enforcement reports. The goal of this system is to aid researchers, legislators, and community interest
groups in the development of public health prevention strategies to reduce violent deaths. All deaths reported in
this document are based on location of occurrence rather than residence and, instead of a rate, the ocurrent
ratio is reported. This statistic is derived from the total number of violent deaths resulting from injuries in a
specified geographic region divided by the number of residents in this region. This document summarizes all fatal
injuries from violence that occurred in New Hanover County for the years 2004 through 2009.
• For the years 2004-2009, there were 249 violent
deaths from injuries sustained in New Hanover County.
Of these 249 deaths, 248 were North Carolina residents
(99 %) and 227 were New Hanover County residents
(91 %).
• There were 162 suicides (65 %), 68 homicides (27 %),
four deaths from legal interventions (2 %) and 15
deaths of undetermined intent (6 %).
• In New Hanover County, the suicide ratio was 3.2 times higher in males than females, and the homicide ratio was
3.4 times higher in males than females.
• Patterns of suicide and homicide differed by race. Suicide victims were more likely to be white than black.
Whites had 18.4 suicides per 100,000 population versus 5.8 suicides per 100,000 population in blacks. The 'Other
Race' category had two suicides.
• In contrast, blacks had 24.7 homicides per 100,000 population as opposed to whites who had 2.4 homicides per
100,000 population. The 'Other Race' category had one homicide.
Undetermined
Intent
6%
Legal
Intervention
2%
Homicide
27%
Suicide
65%
*Based on the county of injury occurrence.
†Other race refers to American Indians, Asians, etc. Rates might be unstable due to small number of deaths.
Manner of Death by Sex: New Hanover County, N.C.:
NC-VDRS, 2004-2009*
7.9
2.8
11.5
25.5
9.6
33.6
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
Suicide Homicide All Violent
Deaths
Manner of Death # of Occurrent Injuries
Resulting in Death
per 100,000 Population
Female
Male
Manner of Death by Race: New Hanover County, N.C.:
NC-VDRS, 2004-2009*
2.4
24.7
20.5
18.4
31.3
5.8
15.6
5.2
12.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
Suicide Homicide All Violent
Deaths
Manner of Death
# of Occurrent Injuries
Resulting in Death
per 100,000 Population
White
Black
Other Race†
*Based on the county of injury occurrence.
Manner of Death: New Hanover County, N.C.: NC-VDRS, 2004-2009*