California: Despite Record Drop in Homicide Rate, Latinos are Majority of Victims
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SEAL BEACH, CA - OCTOBER 12: Police investigate a murder scene at Salon Meritage hair salon after a man shot nine people, killing eight of them, on October 12, 2011 in Seal Beach, California. Despite the killing spree, homicides in the state are down, according to a report. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) (2011 Getty Images)
Latinos are killed more than any other racial group in California.
That's according to a new report by the California Department of Justice, which shows Hispanics were victims in 44.5 percent of the state's homicides; the racial group also accounted for 48.7 percent of arrestees.
Gangs and drugs were the top contributing factors, cited in 39.5 percent of killings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to updated 2010 figures, the report found that overall, there were 4.7 reported homicides for every 100,000 people. That's a 7.8 percent drop from 2009.
State attorney general's spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill says the 2010 rate is the lowest since 1966. It's also the fifth year in a row that killings have declined in California.
Among the 35 most populous counties, Monterey and Merced had the highest homicide rates at 10 per 100,000.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
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