Suicide By Homemade Firearm: A Case Report

1. Suicide By Homemade Firearm: A Case Report Authored by B. P. Singh, P. Siddambary, S.S. Baisoya and S.K. Jain Central Forensic Science Laboratory, DFS, MHA, GOI, Sector 36-A, Chandigarh- 160036 (India) Ph- 0172-2605933, Fax- 0172-2605923 Email: bhanu9pratap@yahoo.co.in

2. INTRODUCTION • USE OF ILLEGAL HOMEMADE FIREARM • SURVEY AT CFSL, CHANDIGARH SHOWS 70% INVOLVEMENT OF HOMEMADE FIREARM • WHAT IS HOMEMADE FIREARM?

4. Contd. • THIS PAPER PRESENTS A UNIQUE CASE OF SUICIDE CAUSED BY HOMEMADE FIREARM USING .315in. RIFLE AMMUNITION • THE STUDY IS RELATED TO CRANIO-CEREBRAL TRAUMA • THE FINDINGS COULD BE USEFUL TO MEDICO LEGAL EXPERTS AND FORENSIC SCIENTISTS

5. CASE HISTORY • A 56-year-old man shot himself by a homemade firearm capable to chamber and fire .315in. rifle ammunition. According to suicide note the deceased was poor in health and was suffering from the depression. He brought the weapon with the help of a guard and took this step from his own wish. The firearm was lying on the table and a fired .315in. rifle cartridge case was extracted from the chamber of the firearm. The .315in. rifle bullet passed through right to left skull and hit on the wall left side of the deceased resulting deformation in the bullet.

6. FINDINGS OF AUTOPSY • THE BULLET ENTERED IN THE CRANIAL CAVITY FROM RIGHT SIDE IN UPWARD DIRECTION CAUSING MULTIPLE FRACTURE OF SKULL BONE AND EXITED OUT LEFT SIDE OF THE SKULL OVER PANTETED REGION • ENTRY WOUND (2.5X 2.0 CM2) WAS SMALLER THAN THE EXIT WOUND (3.0X2.5CM2) • BLACKENING WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE TRACK OF WOUND

7. MATERIAL AND METHODS • HOMEMADE PISTOL, FIRED .315in. RIFLE CARTRIDGE CASE AND BULLET WAS RECEIVED • TEST FIRINGS ON SOAP BLOCK OF SIZE 14X10CM2 FROM LOOSE CONTACT AT AN ANGLE OF 900 • SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE ENTRY AND EXIT WOUNDS PRESENT ON SOAP BLOCK WERE CORRELATED WITH THE INJURIES ALONG WITH OTHER FINDINGS

8. HOMEMADE FIREARM AND FIRED .315in. RIFLE BULLET BL= 17.5 CM MD= .423”

9. ENTRY AND EXIT WOUNDS ON SOAP BLOCK ENTRY WOUND (2.0X1.5CM2 ) EXIT WOUND (4.1X3.0 CM2)

10. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION • EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDED WELL TO THE FINDINGS OF THE AUTOPSY • SHAPE OF WOUND • SIZE OF WOUND

11. Contd. • LESSER AMOUNT OF SOOT DEPOSITED AROUND THE WOUND • MORE NUMBER OF UN-BURNT PARTICLE AROUND THE WOUND AS WELL AS IN THE WOUND TRACK

12. Contd. • NO TEARING EFFECT • NO STELLATE OR CRUCIFORM APPEARANCE • NO SHOCK WAVE EFFECT

13. CONCLUSION • THIS PAPER PRESENTS, AN UNUSUAL CASE OF A SELF-INFLICTED CRANIAL GUNSHOT INJURY CAUSED BY .315in. RIFLE BULLET FIRED THROUGH A HOMEMADE FIREARM • IN THIS CASE, THE TYPE OF WOUND CAUSED IS VERY UNIQUE, WHICH DIFFERS FROM THE WOUND CAUSED BY A STANDARD RIFLED FIREARM IN TERMS OF SHAPE AND SIZE OF ENTRY AND EXIT WOUND AND BULLET TRACK

14. Contd. • THE HOMEMADE FIREARMS NEEDS TO BE FULLY APPRECIATED BY THE MEDICO LEGAL EXPERTS AS THE IMPLICATION FOR PATIENT OUTCOME USUALLY DIFFERS FROM CONVENTIONAL STANDARD FIREARMS

15. Contd. • AT THE TIME OF REPORTING GUNSHOT INJURIES, THE MEDICO LEGAL EXPERTS SHOULD TAKE EXTREME CARE IN IDENTIFYING THE RIFLED AND NON-RIFLED FIRED BULLETS THAT WILL PROVE IMMENSE HELPFUL TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATING AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY THE APPROPRIATE FIREARM, OTHERWISE THIS MAY MISLEAD TO I.O.

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