Four warning signs of intimate partner homicide that point to preventable outcomes
New public-health research shows intimate partner homicide follows clear warning signs—chiefly firearm access, separation, prior nonfatal strangulation, and stalking—and many cases are preventable. Risk is highest during separation or civil family-law proceedings; leaving an abusive partner can raise risk by about nine times. Interventions like removing firearms via protective orders and using risk-screening tools (e.g., the danger assessment) linked to safety planning (MyPlan) can reduce deaths. The home is the most dangerous place for women and children, with mass shootings tied to domestic violence affecting families (e.g., eight children killed in a Louisiana incident; two-thirds of mass shootings involve domestic violence; 40% of victims are children). The piece calls for translating this knowledge into coordinated action across courts, law enforcement, and communities.