Korean J Leg Med.
2009 Nov;33(2):122-125.
A Shotgun Injury with Billiard Ball Ricochet Effect: A Case Report
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Forensic Medicine, Southern District Office, National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Jangsung, Korea. parker8284@yahoo.co.kr
- 2Department of Forensic Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwang-ju, Korea.
Abstract
- Because of the strict gun control system in Korea, deaths from gunfire injury cannot be frequently seen in the legal autopsies. Injuries or deaths among the registered hunters using shotguns, though not common, have been reported via mass media. We experienced a 52-year-old male's shotgun death in which the manner of death was mostly assumed to be a suicide. The shotgun injury presented the billiard ball ricochet effect, in which a large wound was formed on the inner side of the left thoracic cavity by spraying out of pellets while a small entry wound by bunched pellets was on the left anterior chest wall.
