Atypical Suicide by Submachine Gun

Abstract

In case of suicide, the presence of multiple entrance wounds is always suspicious. We report the case of a man who committed suicide by shooting himself three times in the chest and the skull with a submachine gun. The weapon seems to have been initially pointed in the precordium area with a lethal lesion of the proximal aorta. Two other projectiles were fired by the weapon and hit the neck and the skull of the deceased. The presence of three entrance wounds despite a first fatal wound could finally be explained by the characteristics of the weapon and wounds. Most suicides related to multiple gunshot wounds are explained by a first nonlethal shot but the use of an automatic weapon can also be found. In these last cases, medicolegal and criminalistics aspects become important in differentiating suicide and homicide.

Suicide or Homicide? A Case of Self-Inflicted Triple Gunshot Wound by Double-Barrel Shotgun

“…Less often in cases of chest involvement, extrathoracic shots are located in the neck, 3,8,23 abdomen, 16 and limbs 15 . In particular, 2 cases of multiple gunshot wounds with chest-neck distribution have been reported by al-Alousi 23 and Kolopp et al 3 In the first case, 8 shots were fired by a Kalašnikov military rifle set in full-auto mode; in the second case, the victim shot himself 3 times using a submachine gun. In both cases, it was the use of an automatic weapon that explained the presence of multiple entrance wounds, with ballistic expertise making a fundamental contribution to the definition of the suicidal manner of death 3,23 …”

“…In such cases, circulatory compensation mechanisms can allow residual physical activity in the range of minutes, hours, or even days. When “rapidly lethal” or “delayed incapacitation” targets are involved, evaluation of the victim's ability to act after the first injury represents a fundamental—although sometimes controversial—element for the forensic pathologist to distinguish between suicide and homicide 3,7,10 . The anatomical distribution of injuries in particular represents a crucial element to determine the individual's potential for physical activity after the different shots to properly reconstruct the dynamics of the event.…”

“…8,12,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Wounds involving only 1 area are more frequently confined to the thorax. 13 Less often in cases of chest involvement, extrathoracic shots are located in the neck, 3,8,23 abdomen, 16 and limbs. 15 In particular, 2 cases of multiple gunshot wounds with chest-neck distribution have been reported by al-Alousi 23 and Kolopp et al 3 In the first case, 8 shots were fired by a Kalašnikov military rifle set in full-auto mode; in the second case, the victim shot himself 3 times using a submachine gun.…”

“…The incidence and social burden of firearm-related fatalities have become alarmingly high globally, with more than 250.000 deaths occurring each year worldwide 1 . Although they might vary country by country, gunshot suicides, in particular, represent one of the most frequent manners of death 2,3 . Suicidal deaths by multiple shots, including those caused by 2 guns, are not commonly described in forensic literature 4–6 .…”

“…1 Although they might vary country by country, gunshot suicides, in particular, represent one of the most frequent manners of death. 2,3 Suicidal deaths by multiple shots, including those caused by 2 guns, are not commonly described in forensic literature. [4][5][6] If not rare, in fact, multiple suicidal gunshot wounds are very infrequent, with reported incidences ranging from 0% to 5%.…”