An unusual case of suicide by handcrafted shotgun and slug.
Injuries by handcrafted firearms are uncommon, and those by handcrafted shotguns are very rare. We present an unusual case of suicide using a handcrafted shotgun and slug. A 73-year-old male, who was a glass-grinding artisan, was found dead at a workshop on the premises of his residence. Autopsy showed a contact shotgun wound to the forehead, which perforated the cranium and caused extensive damage to the brain. The handcrafted shotgun was found in the proximity of the body. The shotgun consisted of metal pipes fixed to the vise and did not take the form of a conventional gun. The recovered slug was also found to be manufactured manually. It appeared that the handcrafted shotgun was only intended for committing suicide using his ballistics knowledge, skills, and resources.
Department of Forensic Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan. Electronic address: kharada@ndmc.ac.jp.
Kazuki
K
Harada
Criminal Investigation Laboratory, Saitama Prefectural Police Headquarters, 3-15-1 Takasago, Urawa, Saitama 330-8533, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Itoi
Department of Forensic Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
Yoshimasa
Y
Kanawaku
Department of Forensic Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
Takako
T
Nakatsumi
Department of Forensic Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
Jun
J
Kanetake
D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000473:pathology; D013405:Suicide; D054041:Weapons
Gunshot wounds; Handcraft; Shotgun; Slug