While firearms are the most common weapons used in homicides in the U.S., the second most common are knives. Fresh FBI data shows that around 1,500 people fall victim to fatal stabbings each year.
Two fatal stabbings in Washington, D.C. have gained national attention, with the most recent incident occurring Sunday, Dec. 10. Both of those killings allegedly stemmed from disputes over food.
In a press release, the District of Columbia Attorney’s Office said Steven Schwartz, 85, stabbed his 81-year-old wife to death after he did not want to eat the pancakes she made him.
Metropolitan Police arrived at the couple’s apartment and found Sharron Schwartz inside the residence with injuries. Steven was also found in the home with self-inflicted injuries.
The couple was taken to the hospital where Sharron later died. Steven was charged with second-degree murder while armed, and he plead not guilty on Thursday, Dec. 14.
On Monday, Dec. 4, a 16-year-old plead guilty as a juvenile to a fatal stabbing of another teenager this past summer. Authorities said the stabbing was the result of a fight that broke out over McDonald‘s sweet and sour sauce.
The defendant initially faced first-degree murder charges, but on the day the trial was set to begin, she made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed.
The judge ordered the girl to remain in a secure detention facility until her January sentencing. The judge also ordered additional psychological testing for the teen.
“This young person clearly needs services,” Judge Andrea Hertzfeld said. “There are some issues here.”
According to a 2022 analysis in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, victims of knife homicides in the U.S. are more likely to be female, and both the victim and the offender are more likely to be closely related to one another.
The study also recommends that knife homicides should not be approached with the same theoretical framework as firearm homicides.
