Homicide Using an Air Weapon

Air weapon fatalities.

AIMS To describe characteristics of a series of people accidentally and deliberately killed by air powered weapons. METHODS Five cases of fatal airgun injury were identified by forensic pathologists and histopathologists. The circumstances surrounding the case, radiological examination, and pathological findings are described. The weapon characteristics are also reported. RESULTS Three of t...

[Contact neck gunshot wound without weapon--suicide or homicide?].

To support police in reenacting criminal acts is one of the most important functions of forensic investigation. This case report deals with the discovery of the corpse of a 42-year old man at the bank of the river Inn. First of all the man was supposed to be drowned, but the autopsy showed a gunshot wound of the neck and a shot-through of the brain-stem. Intensive search for the weapon by the p...

The air rifle: a dangerous weapon.

The air rifle: a dangerous weapon Airgun injuries are common among children. Though several reports of eye and soft-tissue injuries have been published, intra-abdominal injuries are apparently rare. I report a case of gastric perforation by an airgun pellet, which exemplifies the potentially lethal injuries that these weapons can inflict. Though the current laws restricting the possession and u...

Air weapon injuries in children: a case for education.

The results of the first 6 months of a 2-year prospective study on the frequency, severity and methods of prevention of air weapon injuries to children are reported. Twenty-eight cases presenting to an urban paediatric accident and emergency department have been analysed. Nineteen of these were males between the ages of 10 and 16 years. At least 18 incidents occurred in public places. The five ...

Air weapon injuries: a serious and persistent problem.