title: Analysis of 16 years of homicides and suicides involving the use of weapons recorded at the Milan Medicolegal Bureau.
abstract: The criminal use of weapons is a very topical issue in the industrialized countries and worldwide, and a reconsideration of the legislation governing their possession is warranted. We retrospectively analyzed the homicides and suicides involving the use of firearms and piercing and/or cutting weapons recorded at the Medicolegal Bureau in Milan from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2008. First we considered the clinical histories of the deceased and the circumstantial details of their deaths, then we examined the data relating to the cause of death recorded in the autopsy reports. Our case series consisted of 414 homicides (54.2%) and 350 suicides (45.8%). Firearms were responsible for more deaths (64%) than piercing and/or cutting weapons (36%). The firearms involved were legally licensed in 40% of cases (suicides) and illegal in 22% (homicides). Our findings suggest the need to review the criteria considered for the issue of firearms licenses, in Italy at least.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di medicina legale e delle assicurazioni, Milan, Italy. guendalina.gentile@unimi.it
authors.forename: Guendalina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Micheli
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merzagora
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rancati
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veneroni
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zoja
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000453:epidemiology*