Citation

Lorin de la Grandmaison G, Fermanian C, Aegerter P, Durigon M. J. Med. Leg. Droit Med. 2008; 51(3): 161-170.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Masson)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A retrospective study was carried out on 132 fatalities due to gunshot wounds secondary to long firearms. One group of suicide (n=72) and one group of homicide (n=60) were statistically compared. The frequency of suicide was higher when the victim's age increased. Females constituted about 8% of the suicide victims. 51.5% of the homicide victims and about 10% of the suicide victims had sustained more than one gunshot wound. Close range was respectively found in 53.5% of the homicide cases and in all suicide cases. Most of the suicide cases showed typical entrance sites. Entrance sites in the limbs and lateral or posterior wall of the chest were only encountered in homicide cases. The direction of the projectile(s) was not a significant parameter after multivariate analysis. This study underlines the importance but also the limits of the autopsy findings for giving an indication of the manner of death.

Language: fr

Keywords

human; age; Firearms; Homicide; homicide; suicide; Suicide; Autopsy; female; male; autopsy; death; article; controlled study; victim; gunshot injury; retrospective study; multivariate analysis; fatality; ballistics; Long guns