THE FACT THAT LOUISIANA HAD THE HIGHEST HOMICIDE RATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1978, 15.8, SUBSTANTIATES THE NEED FOR INTENSIVE STUDY. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM THE SUPPLEMENTAL HOMICIDE REPORTS SUBMITTED BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. THERE WERE 624 REPORTED CRIMINAL HOMICIDE VICTIMS AND 674 OFFENDERS IN 1978. OFFENDERS OUTNUMBERED VICTIMS BECAUSE OF SITUATIONS INVOLVING MULTIPLE VICTIMS AND MULTIPLE OFFENDERS. OFFENSES WERE FAIRLY EVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE 12 MONTHS. THE MORE POPULOUS PARISHES TENDED TO HAVE A HIGHER NUMBER OF HOMICIDES, WITH THE NEW ORLEANS AREA ACCOUNTING FOR 44.1 PERCENT OF ALL HOMICIDES. HANDGUNS WERE USED IN OVER 50 PERCENT OF ALL INCIDENTS. THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP WAS ONE IN WHICH THE OFFENDER WAS KNOWN BY THE VICTIM. IF THIS TYPE OF SITUATION IS COMBINED WITH HOMICIDES BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS, 64.2 PERCENT OF HOMICIDES INVOLVED PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE VICTIM BY THE OFFENDER. ARGUMENTS WERE THE MOST COMMON EVENT PRECEDING A HOMICIDE. VICTIMS WERE PRIMARILY YOUNG; OVER 55 PERCENT WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 34, 78 PERCENT WERE MALE, AND A LARGE MAJORITY WERE BLACK. OFFENDERS WERE ALSO YOUNG, WITH 50.1 PERCENT BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 34. MALES COMMITTED 70.2 PERCENT OF KNOWN HOMICIDES AND HAD A GREATER TENDENCY TO USE FIREARMS. MOST OFFENDERS WERE BLACK. MORE EXTENSIVE DATA ARE REQUIRED BEFORE MEANINGFUL CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN. TABULAR DATA COMPRISE THE BULK OF THE REPORT. (LWM)