Taped interviews were conducted with 90 male and 11 female gang members in 1992 and 1993; 60 percent were African American, 37 percent were Latino, and 3 percent were white. The mean age at the time of interviews was 26 years. Interview data revealed that extreme forms of gang violence primarily involved males. While females were as likely to engage in adolescent fighting as males, males were shot at almost 30 times more than females. Fights and gun-related violence were strongly associated with alcohol or drug use. At least 25 percent of all incidents of lethal violence witnessed by gang members were drug-related. Gang rivalries were often focused on turf, and a common theme in male fights was violence over women. Gang members had access to multiple weapons and emphasized the increased availability of firearms. Research findings are discussed in terms of gang violence trends throughout the United States and the need to reduce gang violence by focusing on policies that reduce economic stratification. 57 references and 6 tables