GUNSHOT FATALITIES

Instrument that propels a bullet/projectile by means of expansion forces caused by detonation or explosion. Smokeless powder, made using nitrocellulose or a combination of nitrocellulpse and nitroglycerin. Made into a compact cylinder. Less smoke and powder than conventional black gunpowder. 3 times more explosion force. Less soot and powder. Smith & Wesson (1854): bullet, explosive and primer all in casing. Primer is made of plumbum azide, plumbum stifnate and barium nitrat and welded in a cup at the base of the casing - single shot cartridge. Shotguns and pump guns bullet contains few lead pellets. Rifled weapon barrel contains lands and grooves which spirals in a particular direction bullet will rotate along its long axis. Advantage : air resistance is reduced and penetration power is increased gyroscopic effect which stabilizes the bullet. Other factors that stabilizes a bullet are its weight and velocity. Ballistics the science of weapon identification. Uses comparison technique where markings on used bullet are compared with the markings on a bullet used in firing test using a comparison microscope. These unique markings are caused by the rifling marks in the barrel. Caliber distance from top of land to top of opposite land (100th of an inch). The common ones : 0.22, 0.25, 0.32, 0.38, 0.45. Breech block and recoil plate are situated at the back of the weapon. Also leaves unique markings on casing; helps in identification.

Class identification Number of grooves and its dimensions in a weapon. Helps identify the type of weapon used. Ex. : a Smith & Wesson 0.38 revolver has 5 lands and 5 grooves with right spiraling. Individual Identification Minute markings/lines on the internal surface of the barrel made during production of the weapon. Transferred to the surface of the bullet during passage. Firing test using suspected firearm. Bullet from firing test compared with bullet from scene/body. Marks made by firing pin on casing can also be used to identify weapon.

Types of firearms Revolvers, automatic pistols and rifles are rifled weapons. Shotguns and pumpguns are smooth bore weapons. Revolver rifled handgun. Rotating cylinder which carries bullets. Casing not ejected when fired. Usually lead bullet. Low muzzle velocity (600 feet/sec.). ex.: 0.22 Magnum, 0.32 Smith & Wesson, 0.38 Special. Automatic pistol rifled handgun. Bullets in a spring loaded magazine which holds 10-20 bullets. Casing is ejected. Usually smokeless powder. High muzzle velocity (>1200 feet/sec.). Usually nickel or steel coated bullet with lead core. Ex. : 0.25 Baretta, 0.32 Browning. Position and distance of casing from shooter (if shooters position is known) can indicate type of weapon used. Rifle long barreled guns. Automatic or manual. High muzzle velocity (> 2500 feet/sec). Ex.: M-16. Shotgun long barreled smooth bore weapon. For hunting small game. Fires a variable number of lead pellets. Single or double barrel. Size or caliber is indicated by gauge which is the internal diameter of the barrel. The barrel can be slightly tapered towards the muzzle, the choke. This will produce a narrower cone of shot. Effects of gunshot When fired the bullet is preceded, accompanied and followed by flame, hot gases, smoke/soot, unburnt and burnt propellant particles, sometimes wads and fragments of the cartridge case. Will be found on and in the target.

Muzzle distance of > 60-70 cm (2-2.5 feet) : no soot or particles. If there is soot, powder particles and flame, muzzle distance can be estimated to a high degree of accuracy by test firing from different distances. Muzzle explosion contains hot gases and particles, shaped like a cone. The further the target is from the muzzle, the bigger the area of particle and soot deposit. Burnt and unburnt propellant particles travel further than soot. Soot is usually black in colour and deposited on target. Removed easily by washing or wiping. Burnt and unburnt particles are deposited in skin, internal organs and bones. Punctate abrasions which appear blackish and flaky when dry powder tattooing. Not removed by washing. Burn marks due to flame. Seldom reaches > 15 cm (6 inches). Muzzle distance < 15 cm : soot, powder tattooing and burns seen. Higher distances : soot and tattooing, no burns. Destructive power of missile depends on its size, shape and most important, its velocity. E = mv/2g. The higher the tissue density e.g. bone, liver , the more energy is transferred to the tissue and the greater the destruction. Fluid containing hollow organ : kinetic energy is transferred from bullet to tissue via fluid great tissue destruction. In bone (skull) entrance wound in outer table is small, but exit in inner table is larger internal beveling. The same is seen when the bullet exits the skull on the opposite side. Bone fragments seen in brain matter. Long bone is usually shattered by high velocity missile. Fragments become secondary missiles causing more destruction and artefactual exit wounds. Size of gunshot wound depends on surface area of bullet hitting target and its velocity. This explains why an exit wound is larger than an entry wound. Deformed bullet as it travels through body causes large wound. Also a bullet that has an irregular flight with tangential entry. The bullet causes a temporary cavity along its track while passing through tissue, this causes further tissue destruction. This temporary cavity forms immediately for only two thousandth of a second and collapses to a size the same as or slightly bigger than wound track. In the skull there is a sudden increase in intracranial pressure with explosion of the head.

Range of fire Can be estimated by : Examination of clothing for soot and propellant particles. Chemical analysis required. Usual techniques are thin layer chromatography, energy dispersion Xray and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Specific and simple method but not sensitive is to look for primer particles e.g. antimony and barium on shooters hand. Neutron activation analysis is sensitive for identifying and quantifying primer info can be used to identify bullet. Expensive method. Atomic absorption spectroscopy is employed by most labs. Sensitive and cheap. Contact wounds On clothing : hole is the same size as muzzle. Torn fibres (black due to the soot) everted due to blow-back of explosive gases. Victims undergarments sometimes show particles. If no intermediate clothing particles can be pushed into skin. In loose contact wounds, soot can be seen around the wound. Determination of wounds as being contact or medium distance can be made difficult by (i) decomposition (ii) victim survives (iii) layers of clothing trapping soot and propellant particles. Contact wounds to the head results in cruciate wound because of torn skin at the edges of the wound. Fibres from clothing can also be seen in entry wound. In (skull) bones fractures are seen radiating from central hole. Isolated fractures of anterior cranial fossa can be seen. High velocity rifle causes massive destruction in contact wounds unidentifiable features. Back spatter- blood, hair, tissues, fibres from clothing sometimes seen in muzzle due to the negative pressure which is formed in the barrel shortly after firing. Muzzle imprint when skin is forced against muzzle. Loose contact gases can escape via small space with less explosion effects no cruciate wound. Flame burns fibres, hair and skin. Soot around wound and powder tattooing. Gas contains CO cherry red appearance of tissue around wound. Close range wounds Propellant particles, primer, bullet fragments seen around wound. Size and quantity of particles can be used to estimate range of fire. Generally seen at

muzzle distance of up to 30-45 cm (1-1.5 feet) for most handguns and 60-75 cm (2-2.5 feet) for high powered rifles. Test firing will give better estimation. Length of barrel also determines area size of particle deposit. Generally no soot is seen with handguns if range exceeds 15-18 cm, only powder. (Thick) hair, clothing can prevent soot deposit. Silencer- absorbs part of smoke and particles- can make range estimation difficult. Medium range wounds Smoke and particles does not reach target. Range for handgun is > 30-45 cm (11.5 feet). For high velocity rifle its > 60-75 cm (2-2.5 feet). When estimating range of fire, the possibility of intermediate objects must be considered. Intermediate objects = objects penetrated by projectile before entering body. Can prevent soot and particles from depositing. Can also cause splintering of bullet. Tissue destruction greater with high velocity rifles. Exit wounds are large with irregular edges. Direction of shot Spatial relationship between entry wound and exit wound. Ricochet of bullet when hitting bone must be considered. Entry wound : collar abrasion, circular when bullet enters at right angles to skin. Entry wound is oval shaped when bullet enters at an angle. Collar abrasion in exit wounds shored exit wounds. Grease ring dirt and grease from barrel and bullet around edge of entry wound. Fibres from clothing inverted inwards. Diameter of entry wound smaller than caliber of bullet. Diameter of wound + collar abrasion more or less caliber of bullet if close or medium range shot. Caliber and type of weapon can only be known based on caliber of bullet found in victims body. Exit wound larger because bone and tissue pushed out, unstable flight of bullet, secondary projectiles (which cause one entry wound to have more than one exit wound). Sometimes cruciate, but no soot, burns or tattooing. Unusual appearance if bullet dented/deformed, ricocheted bullet, reentry. Fragmented bullets give snowstorm appearance on X-ray. Sometimes jacket is separated from bullet and is shaped like a button or coin. Can be used in identification as groove markings from weapon can be seen. As mentioned earlier, internal and external beveling of (skull) bone gives idea of entry and exit and thus direction. The position of either the assailant or the victim must be known to determine the position of the other when the direction is known.

Ricochet a projectile that changes course after hitting an object. Direction of ricochet cannot be predicted with accuracy. Wounding is almost always accidental. Sometimes fragments from object are seen on the surface of the ricocheted bullet. Physical activity after wounding Victim collapses due to blood loss and circulatory arrest. Physical activity usually to get help e.g. crawling, crying out. Death usually not instantaneous unless medulla oblongata hit. Accident, suicide or homicide Difficult, sometimes impossible. Criteria used : 1. range of fire the finding of soot, tattooing is important. Naked eye and chemistry. Examine clothing. 2. easy access to part of body. Suspect homicide if wound in an inaccessible part of body. 3. soot and tattooing on the hand of the shooter. Wrap hands at the scene. Time interval between shooting and sampling. 4. examination of weapon. Blood spatter on gun and blood group = victims group gun was not far from wound. Scene of crime examination, multiple shots, clothing parted, suicide note. Sequence of shots the last shot is the fatal shot. Sequence of shots on skull Puppes rule. Accident history and circumstances and eyewitness accounts. Wounds from smooth bore weapons Caused by pellets. At close range these pellets act as one mass. The further the range, the pellets spread, cone shaped. The further the range, the larger the area of spread but the lower the penetrating power. Entry wounds Differs according to range.

Contact wounds To head e.g. temple Severe tissue destruction, burst scalp and skull. Difficult diagnosis. ? blunt trauma. Sometimes wad can be found in cranial cavity. Terrazzo fracture at base of skull. In mouth abrasion and laceration of lips, blood spatter on index finger and thumb and web space. To abdomen circular or oval wound, roughly 2.5 cm diameter,surrounded by soot at the edges. Again shape of soot distribution depends on angle of fire. Close range wounds Range up to 1 meter. At 15 cm (6 inches) clothing and tissue burnt. Soot and tattooing. CO gas in wound. Circular or oval shaped wound. Head injury less destructive compared to contact shot. At > 30 cm (12 inches) seldom soot on skin. At > 60 cm (24 inches) no tattooing seen. Up to 1 meter, pellets move as one mass circular or oval wound, approx. 4 cm diameter. No satellite wounds. Medium range wounds Range of > 1 meter. Wounds caused by pellets. Up to 4 meters, pellets as main mass + few separated, size of central wound approx. 5 cm diameter. Up to 9-10 meters, pellets are separated with no central wound. Light injuries, pellets under skin. Can be fatal if vital organs e.g.carotid artery struck. Exit wounds Contact and close range wounds severe tissue destruction with no soot, tattooing. Everted edges.

Post-mortem examination of gunshot fatalities Prior to PM do a full body X-ray to locate bullet, to help determine entry wound. Swab from hands of deceased. Description of clothing, of tears (number, position). Look for evidence of close range shot. Measure area of soot and tattooing deposit. Description of cloth fibres. Photograph together with scale. Examination of wounds on body. Shave off victims hair to facilitate examination. Sample of skin at wound can be taken for histological examination to look for propellant powder. All bullets and fragments removed should be sent to the lab for identification. Condition of bullet must be described e.g pristine/dented, jacket/unjacketed, caliber, markings on surface.

Bullet embolism when bullets are found far from entry. COD severe haemorrhage, head injury. Death occurs between a few minutes to a few hours after being shot. Blood and urine sample. Blood serology.