Mazaher Ghorbani, Amir Molanaei , Sheis Amini, Maryam Ameri ,
Volume 72, Issue 3 (6-2014)
Abstract
Background: The rate of using firearm in criminal acts, even in countries with strict le-gal controls on these weapons is increasing. The most common methods of homicides and suicides are using firearm in United States. In this study we aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of gunshot bodies referred to Forensic Medicine.
Methods: Information about firearm-related injuries in autopsy hall of Forensic Medi-cine center in Tehran during 2011-2012 were evaluated from patients’ documents. Necessary information including age, sex, education, employment, drug and alcohol addiction, as well as information related to shot such as suicide or homicidal, shoot number (incoming bullets), shot location, type of firearm, organ damage, shot distance and location of the incident were extracted and analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Results: In this cross sectional study, 38 deaths were identified. These were over-whelmingly males (100%) with mean age of 32.4 (SD= 6.57). The typical entrance wound sites in suicides were the head (42.2%) and chest (24.3%) and abdomen (5.4%) and limb (2.7%) and others (48.6%). place a bullet in the head, 16 (42.2 %), chest 9 (24.3%), the abdomen, 2 cases (5.4%), an organ (2.7%) and hit a different place (9 cas-es 24.3 percent). Brain damaged in 18 cases (84.6%) and lung 5 (13.5%) and 12 (32.4%) and several organs were damaged. The typical entrance wound sites in suicides were the head (42.2%) and chest (24.3%) and abdomen (5.4%) and limb (2.7%) and others (48.6%). This total included 33% attempted or completed suicides, and 47.5% assaults/homicides The scene of disaster were the 12 patients (50%) outdoors, 8 (33.3%) at home and in 4 cases (16.7%) at work.
Conclusion: Based on results of this study, age of victims is higher than previously ob-served patterns, such as gender of victims, location of shots, type of weapon used is different with international reports due to differences in availability of Iranian weapons and cultural differences. The results of this study can be a base for other investigations’s changes in trends of total firearm death rates, mass fatal shooting incidents, rates of firearm homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm deaths, and of total homicides and suicides.
