Blacks were seven times more likely than whites to be charged with criminal homicide. Blacks were eight times more likely than whites to kill an acquaintance, five times more likely to kill a family member, seven times more likely to kill a lover or spouse, and eight times more likely to kill a stranger. Blacks were far more likely than whites to kill persons in incidents of gambling, robbery, and arguments over money; twice as likely to kill in juvenile gang incidents; and equally likely to kill in a gangland incident. Blacks used handguns in killings more often than whites, and whites used long guns more often. Ninety-one percent of the homicides involved a white offender against a white victim or a black offender against a black victim. States with the highest black homicide offender rates had a small black population, a low overall crime rate, and a more rural than urban environment. 4 tables and 34 references.