Study Finds Homicide Rate Among Pa. African-Americans Nearly Six Times National Average

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A study by the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C. now reveals the Homicide Victimization rate for African Americans in Pennsylvania is nearly six times the national overall homicide rate.

The study, based on 2009 data, finds Pennsylvania is third in the nation in the rate of African American homicide victimization.

In response to the study, Max Nacheman, executive director of CeaseFirePA, commented, “Every year nearly 1,200 Pennsylvanians lose their lives to gun violence. Almost half of those deaths are murders. We know that many of those murders are committed by someone using an illegal gun. This study by the VPC only gives greater depth to those terrible statistics, uncovering evidence to show that entire communities are being devastated by gun violence.”

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/