Study of pattern of injuries in homicidal firearm injury cases.

ABSTRACT

Invention of fire has brought about a turning point to Human civilisation, but, invention of the firearm has come as a curse to human civilisation. Firearm is fast becoming a major killing apparatus and taking away innumerable valuable human life day by day. This study was aimed to find out the pattern of injury in homicidal firearm injury cases of different motives and also to find out the most vulnerable portion of the body so as to minimise the loss of human life. In this study a total of 108 cases of homicidal firearm injury were studied. Extremist violence and encounters accounts for 81.5% of the cases and in 13 (12.0%) cases the motive behind the killings could not be determined. Most of the victims were males having bullet injuries in their chest (59 cases), caused by rifled firearm weapons, and died because of haemorrhage and shock.