• Brooke Wong, Serena Bernstein, Jonathan Jay, and Michael Siegel.
• Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
• J Natl Med Assoc. 2020 Oct 1; 112 (5): 518-530.

Background/PurposeLittle research has characterized racial differences in firearm homicide at the city level. In this study, we explicitly model trends from 2000 to 2017 in the gap in homicide rates between the Black and White populations of 275 U.S. cities.MethodsWe used latent trajectory analysis and latent multi-trajectory analysis to identify distinct groups of cities with similar trends over time in: (a) Black and White firearm homicide rates; and (b) the ratio of the Black to White firearm homicide rates. We used a hierarchical, random effects model to examine the impact of racial segregation and racial gaps in structural disadvantage on the extent of the racial disparity in firearm homicide in each city.ResultsWe found that racial residential segregation predicts differences between cities in the magnitude of racial disparities in firearm homicide rates.ConclusionReducing racial disparities in firearm homicide may require programs and policies that specifically address the adverse consequences of racial segregation.Copyright © 2020 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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