Firearm Injuries

Abstract

Projectile injury represents an estimated 14% of reported animal cruelty cases affecting domestic species in the United States. Reliable statistics for unlawful projectile injury in wildlife species are not currently available. Cases involving projectiles are complicated by gross similarities to other common types of injury, including bite wounds and motor vehicle injuries. Weapons and ammunition not commonly recognized or understood by veterinary medical professionals and required expertise beyond that employed in routine postmortem examination make projectile injury cases even more challenging. For these reasons, a general understanding of projectile weapons, ammunition, and ballistics is necessary before pursuing forensic projectile cases. This chapter describes the common types of projectile injuries encountered within the United States, as well as types of weapons and ammunition associated with this form of injury. The three stages of ballistics—internal, external, and terminal—and wounding capacity are discussed. The forensic necropsy is described, including gunshot wound examination, projectile trajectories, different imaging procedures, collection and storage of projectile evidence, and potential advanced techniques, for gunpowder analysis. This chapter presents aspects of projectile injury investigation that must be considered in combination with standard postmortem practices and procedures to ensure reliable conclusions are reached for medicolegal as well as diagnostic purposes.

The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.