Patterns of Gun Possession Among Young Black Males in a Large Urban City

Background. As the 4th largest city in the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation ranks Houston the 22nd most violent city in the country with a violent crime rate of 1,026 incidents per 100,000 people in 2018. In 2022, there were 435 homicides in Houston. Houston has a poverty rate of 21.9% and an unemployment rate of 4.8%. Moreover, Black youth account for 45% of Harris County, Texas Juvenile Probation referrals although African-Americans comprise 20% of the population. The objective of this study is to explain some if the reasons why young Black males carry guns and what they think it would take for them to stop carrying guns.

Methods. This study received university IRB approval. This qualitative study uses a subset of data from a larger 4 city study. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a sample of 100 young Black males ranging from 14 to 25 years old. A questionnaire was developed to capture demographic information, law enforcement encounters, exposure to guns, and experiences with gun violence victimization. The research team conducted interviews to capture the data. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes. In this preliminary analysis, themes were identified and quotes were captured to highlight the most salient themes.

Results. About 24% of the participants reported a history of arrest. Reasons for gun possession primarily revolved around protection. Some participants indicated that they carried a gun every day, while others identified carrying at certain times, such as going to different neighborhoods, hanging out late at night, or when they felt threatened by others. While some indicated that they didn’t like carrying a gun, many indicated that carry a gun gave them a sense of courage. The majority of the participants indicated that they got their first gun from friends or family members. Others indicated that they bought it from a store or they stole them. Many indicated that they intend to keep carrying a gun, because they feel unsafe without it. Most participants indicated that they didn’t know how to reduce the number of guns in their communities.

Conclusions. This study builds upon the literature by identifying why young Black males in a large urban city made the decision to carry guns and the circumstances. While some of the young men reported being involved in illegal activities, many indicated they carry because they are afraid. Knowing someone who was victimized by gun violence also served as a motivating factor. Many young Black men who were approached declined to participate due to suspicion about the motives of the researchers. Therefore, researchers need to continue to try to reach those who are highest risk of victimization or perpetration of gun violence. The next phase of this study will compare results from the 3 other study sites. Those results will be used to develop intervention strategies in all four cities. As states like Texas and Florida continue relax gun laws, more attention and resources should be focused on teaching non-violent conflict resolution skills at a young age.