In the latter years of the study, homicide accounted for just over 1 percent of all deaths in the United States. Age-standardized homicide rates for these years were about six times as great for nonwhites as for whites. Homicide had a greater impact on the life expectation of nonwhite men than all death causes but heart disease, malignant neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases. Homicide deaths were more common among men than among women, and homicide rates were highest for persons aged 25-35. Much of the recent rise in homicide, particularly in the black community, resulted from more killings by guns. Ethnographic accounts of homicide suggest that if firearms were not easily accessible, less effective weapons would be used in conflict situations, producing a sharp drop in the homicide rate. 3 tables, 1 figure, 4 notes, and 31 references.