ATLANTA (Reuters) – Gang-related deaths typically aren’t the product of fights over drugs — as many assume — but rather result from grudges between rival gangs that erupt into violence, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gang homicides nearly always involve guns, usually occur in public places and the victims tend to be under the age of 19, the agency reported on Thursday in a study that examined 2003-2008 data from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, California; Oklahoma City; and Newark, New Jersey.
“These incidents most often result when contentious gang members pass each other in public places and a conflict quickly escalates into homicide with the use of firearms and drive-by shootings,” the CDC said.
In the cities studied, the percentage of gang killings that were drug-related ranged from zero in Long Beach to about 25 percent in Oklahoma City.
Only in Newark did the number of drug killings related to gangs significantly exceed those involving non-gang members.
“A possible explanation of this divergent finding could be that Newark is experiencing homicides by gangs formed specifically for drug trade,” the CDC said.
Nationwide, homicide is the second leading cause of death among those aged 15-24, the CDC said. In Los Angeles and Long Beach, gang