Shot Through the Heart—Firepower and Potential Lethality of Air Weapons

• Published in: Journal of forensic sciences Vol. 59; no. 6; pp. 1658 - 1661
• Main Authors: Bakovic, Marija, Petrovecki, Vedrana, Strinovic, Davor, Mayer, Davor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Air; air rifle wound; Autopsies; Female; Firearms; forensic pathology; forensic science; Forensic sciences; Heart; heart injury; Heart Ventricles - injuries; Heart Ventricles - pathology; Humans; penetration injury; Pericardium - injuries; Pericardium - pathology; Suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Weapons; Wounds, Penetrating - etiology; Wounds, Penetrating - pathology; forensic science; air rifle wound; penetration injury; forensic pathology; heart injury; suicide
• ISSN: 0022-1198; 1556-4029
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12486

Although certain air weapons attain muzzle velocities comparable to some firearms, their successful use for committing suicide is rarely seen. Herein, we report a case of a young female died shortly after urgent admission to the hospital with penetrating gunshot wound to the chest. The autopsy revealed perforation of the pericardium and two perforative defects to the right heart ventricle. Injury was inflicted by a 0.177 caliber pellet, fired from an air rifle found near her body. Investigation ruled the death as suicide. The used air rifle fired the pellet with the energy density of 1.9 J/mm2, substantially above the threshold for inflicting injury. The pellet penetrated through two layers of cotton fabric and several layers of tissue to inflict fatal injury to the heart. In addition, we provide an insight into the wounding potential of air weapons, which illustrates the need for greater caution in handling those devices.