WISQARS™ NVDRS Data Elements (Variables)
Below is a list of data elements in NVDRS. Note that some of these variables are not available via WISQARS NVDRS. To learn more about the application process for requesting access to case-level microdata, and a larger set of NVDRS variables, please see information about the NVDRS Restricted Access Database on the NVDRS webpage.
For more information about how variables in NVDRS are defined, please see the NVDRS Coding Manual.pdf icon
Incident-level Variables
Site Identifier (State)
Incident Number
Incident Year
Incident Type
Incident Category
Number of victims in incident
Number of non-fatally shot persons in incident
Coroner/Medical Examiner (CME) Incident narrative (text field)
Law Enforcement (LE) Incident narrative (text field)
Variables Collected for Victim(s) and Suspect(s)
Age
Age unit (e.g., days, months, years)
Age in years (calculated variable, combining Age and Age Unit)
Sex
Race (white; black; Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; American Indian/Alaska Native; other)
Ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino/Spanish)
Victim Variables
Person type (i.e., Victim, Suspect, Victim-Suspect)
Transgender
Height
Weight
Marital status
Relationship status
Sex of partner
Victim was pregnant
Sexual orientation
Ever served in US armed forces (veteran)
Country of residence
State of residence
County of residence
City of residence
Zip code of residence
US Census tract of residence
US Census block group of residence
Birth place
Birth Country, if other
Kind of business/industry code
Usual industry (text field)
Usual occupation code
Usual occupation (text field)
Current occupation
Homeless status
Education by degree level
Number of years of education
Injury & Death Variables
Death Certificate Manner of death
Law Enforcement report Manner of death
Coroner/Medical Examiner report Manner of death
Abstractor-assigned manner of death (reconciling all sources)
State of injury (by FIPS code)
County of injury (by FIPS code)
City of injury (by FIPS code)
Zip code of injury
US Census tract of injury
US Census block group of injury
Date of injury
Time of injury
Type of location where injured
Injured at work
Injured at victim’s home
EMS at scene of injury
Victim in custody when injured
Recent release from an institution
Alcohol use suspected
Survival time no. of units
Unit of time used in survival time
Victim seen in emergency department
Victim admitted to inpatient care
1st external cause of injury code by hospital (ICD-9 CM & ICD-10 CM)
2nd external cause of injury code from hospital (ICD-9 CM & ICD-10 CM)
Underlying cause of death ICD-10 code
ICD 10 4th character
ICD 10 5th character
Immediate cause of death (text field)
Cause leading to immediate cause (text field)
Next antecedent cause of death (text field)
Underlying cause of death (text field)
Place of death
Place of death, if other (text field)
Date pronounced dead
Date of death
State of death
Autopsy performed
Multiple conditions on death certificate 1-10
Wound Location Variables
Number of wounds
Number of bullets that hit victim
Wound to the head
Wound to the face
Wound to the neck
Wound to the upper extremity
Wound to the spine
Wound to the thorax
Wound to the abdomen
Wound to the lower extremity
Poisons/Toxicology Variables
No toxicology report
Date specimens were collected
Time specimens were collected
Substance(s) Name
(Specific) Substance tested
(Specific) Substance result
Substance caused death
Person medication prescribed for
Substance categories (auto-populated)
Tested for alcohol
Alcohol test results
Tested for carbon monoxide
Results for carbon monoxide
Tested for amphetamines
Results for amphetamines
Tested for anticonvulsants
Results for anticonvulsants
Tested for antidepressants
Results for antidepressants
Tested for antipsychotics
Results for antipsychotics
Tested for barbiturates
Results for barbiturates
Tested for benzodiazepines
Results for benzodiazepines
Tested for cocaine
Results for cocaine
Tested for marijuana
Results for marijuana
Tested for muscle relaxant
Results for muscle relaxant
Tested for opiate(s)
Results for opiate(s)
Blood alcohol concentration results
Carbon monoxide source, if CO
Suspect Variables
Victim’s relationship to suspect 1
Victim’s relationship to suspect 2
Primary suspect for this victim (only shown with multiple suspects)
2nd suspect for this victim (only shown with multiple suspects)
3rd suspect for this victim (only shown with multiple suspects)
Suspect was also a victim
Suspect attempted suicide after incident
Suspect was caregiver
History of abuse of victim by Suspect
Suspect was mentally ill
Suspect had developmental disability
Suspected alcohol use by Suspect
Suspected substance use by Suspect
Suspect had contact with law enforcement
Suspect recently released from institution
Circumstance Variables by Manners of Death
(*Indicates that variable can be indicated as a specific crisis)
All Manners of Death
Current depressed mood
Current diagnosed mental health problem*
Type of first mental illness diagnosed
Type of 2nd metal illness diagnosed
Other mental health diagnosis (text field)
Current treatment for mental illness/ substance abuse
Ever treated for mental illness
Alcohol problem*
Other substance problem*
Other addiction*
Terrorist attack
Family relationship problem*
Other relationship problem*
Abuse and neglect led to death
History of abuse as a child
Perpetrator of violence in the past month
Victim of violence in the past month
Physical fight (mutual between 2 people)
Argument
Timing of the most recent argument
Precipitated by another crime
Nature of first other crime
Nature of 2nd other crime
First other crime in progress
Circumstances known
Other circumstance, (text field)
Crisis in past 2 weeks (other those specified by circumstance variables)
Homicide/Legal Intervention Deaths
Intimate partner violence related
Stalking*
Prostitution or sex trafficking*
Gang related
Justifiable self-defense/law enforcement
Victim was a police officer on duty
Victim was a bystander
Random violence
Victim was intervener assisting crime victim
Victim used a weapon
Mercy killing
Hate crime
Jealousy (lover’s triangle)*
Brawl (3 or more people)
Walk-by assault
Drive-by shooting (homicide only)
Drug Involvement
Suicide & Undetermined Deaths
History of suicidal thoughts or plans
History of suicide attempts
Recent disclosed suicidal thoughts or intent
Disclosed suicidal intent to whom
Person left a suicide note
Contributing criminal legal problem*
Civil legal problems*
Physical health problem*
Job problem*
Financial problem*
School problem*
Eviction/loss of home*
Suicide of a friend or family member*
Other death of friend or family
Anniversary of traumatic event
Disaster exposure*
Intimate partner problem*
Unintentional Firearm Deaths
Hunting
Target shooting
Self-defensive shooting
Celebratory firing
Loading/ unloading gun
Cleaning gun
Showing gun to others
Playing with gun
Other context of injury
Thought safety was engaged
Thought unloaded, magazine disengaged
Thought gun was unloaded, other
Unintentionally pulled trigger
Bullet ricochet
Gun defect or malfunction
Fired while holstering/ un-holstering
Dropped gun
Fired while operating safety/lock
Gun mistaken for toy
Other mechanism of injury
Weapons
Weapon type
Additional weapon information (text field)
Firearm type
Firearm gauge
Firearm caliber
Firearm make or NCIC code
Other firearm make (text field)
Firearm model
Other firearm model (text field)
Gun stored loaded
Gun stored locked
Gun access narrative (text field)
Gun owner
Firearm stolen
Primary weapon that killed victim (only shown with multiple weapons)
Second weapon causing injury (only shown with multiple weapons)
Third weapon causing injury (only shown with multiple weapons)
Total number of NVDRS weapons for this victim