title: Self-inflicted fatal shotgun wound from a homemade weapon.
abstract: A case of suicide, a male shot in the abdomen using a homemade weapon, is described herein. Postmortem examination revealed bleeding into the thoracic and abdominal cavities, a collapsed liver and other organs with numerous pellets. The contact-shot wound was not noticed during the initial investigation at the scene, but it was elucidated during autopsy. A simple launcher had been assembled from pipes of a clothes rack frame made for home use. The deceased had once owned a shotgun, but his firearm license had been relinquished 5 years prior. A shotgun shell that he had kept was used. Presumably, the injuries from the homemade weapon were not noticed initially because of strict gun control rules in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: osawa@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osawa
mesh_terms: D034841:Abdominal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016658:Psoas Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D013405:Suicide; D054041:Weapons; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Pellet; Shotgun wound; Suicide; X-ray examination