Spreading pellets in hitting bullet of shotgun from close distance : a case report and review of the literature

Abstract EN

Introduction : Determination of suicide as the cause of death due to shotguns can be challenging because shotguns are usually designed for hunting, sport, and recreation.

Therefore, the impact of their bullets on the human body may present several unclear signs.

In this case, pellets were reported to spread in contact wounds.

The manner of death seemed to be initially murder yet after the autopsy, it seemed suicidal.

Case Presentation: The incident occurred during March 2015 in a house in the capital city of Iran, Tehran.

The case was a 39-year-old man, who upon initial examination, was reported to have committed suicide using a shotgun.

This was evident by the presence of distributed pellets in the chest and pelvis, which confirmed a contact shot.

Conclusions : The following were hypothesized: 1- After the plastic cap of the bullet hit the sternum, it was fragmented, and pellets were scattered.

2- Regarding the existence of the pellets in the heart’s ventricles, it seemed the pellets were distributed immediately through the aorta, to the chest, and through to the abdominal aorta, and the pelvis.