Domestic Violence Murders in Texas Are Going Up

The [Texas Council on Family Violence] tracked and analyzed hundreds of homicides from 2022 (PDF) and found it the second-highest number on record in the past 10 years, an 8 percent increase since 2021. The 216 victims included 179 women and 37 men, 17 people who were pregnant or had recently given birth, 19 teens and young adults, six people identifying as LGBTQ+, and 28 family members, friends, or bystanders.

The report also highlights the high number of victims who had sought help—from friends, family, or law enforcement—before being killed. More than half, including Hightower, “had taken steps to address the abuse,” according to the report. Most homicide victims were killed by current partners rather than exes. But leaving, experts agree, is often the most dangerous time.

Black Texans are disproportionately the victims in these cases, but everyone is vulnerable. The nonprofit found 22 percent of female victims and 38 percent of male victims were Black. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 13 percent of Texans are Black.