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An Unplanned Complex Suicide by Multiple Blank Cartridge Gunshots and Cutting
Author(s) -
Kučerová Štěpánka,
Zátopková Lenka,
Vojtíšek Tomáš,
Ublová Michaela,
Hejna Petr
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.13881
Subject(s) - muzzle , cartridge , medicine , blank , poison control , surgery , cardiac tamponade , pericardium , autopsy , forensic pathology , forensic engineering , medical emergency , engineering , archaeology , history , mechanical engineering , barrel (horology)
Blank firing guns are readily accessible in most countries due to an absence of legal regulations. These weapons are capable of causing lethal injuries. We report a rare case of secondary (unplanned) complex suicide committed with a knife and blank cartridge pistol. A 59‐year‐old man was found dead with three superficial incisions in his neck and a gunshot wound to the chest. The external examination revealed an entrance wound in the left chest region consistent with contact shooting. The appearance of a muzzle imprint suggested two discharges. The autopsy showed a slightly hemorrhaged but otherwise intact pericardium, blood in the pericardial sac, and a channel‐like defect in the anterior wall of the left cardiac ventricle. The cause of death was attributed to cardiac tamponade. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of unplanned complex suicide involving an unmodified blank firing gun.