title: Homicide-suicide in Brescia County (Northern Italy): a retrospective study from 1987 to 2012.
abstract: From January 1987 to December 2012, 19 homicide-suicide events were registered at the Brescia Institute of Forensic Medicine (Northern Italy), leading to 39 deaths (20 homicide victims and 19 suicide victims). The homicide victims were females in the total of the cases (100%), while perpetrators were exclusively males (100%). Only one event involved foreigners as both victim and perpetrator, all the other cases regarded Italian people. The average age was 37.3 years for the homicide victims and 41.57 years for the offenders. Perpetrators usually used a firearm both for murder (65%) and suicide (84%). In 66% of the cases the homicide-suicide events occurred at home; homicide victims were strictly bound to their perpetrators (husband, boyfriend or ex boyfriend, father) in all the events.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.verzeletti@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verzeletti
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057237:Criminals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054041:Weapons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brescia County (Northern Italy); Dyadic death; Homicide–suicide