Citation

Voisard MX, Kneubuehl BP. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2010; 31(1): 95-97.

Affiliation

Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e3181c65e49

PMID

20010291

Abstract

We report a case involving a spring-gun device (muzzleloader) loaded solely with gunpowder, installed next to shoes to prevent the neighbors' puppy from removing them. The booby trap was triggered by the 15-year-old dog-owners son when he tried to put the shoes out of the reach of the puppy. The boy suffered second degree superficial burns located mainly at the dorsal side of the right hand and fingers. To estimate the danger of the used weapon, several tests were undertaken on soap blocks from different distances and with different loads of black powder. The particle density per mm and the depth of black powder tattooing in the soap was compared with the boy's injuries, and found conclusive with the gun-owners statement regarding the loading of the weapon. Furthermore, our experiments indicated that the gunpowder load involved was not able to inflict permanent damage, not even to the eyes, at the here estimated firing distance.

Language: en