@article{ref1,
title="Firearms fatalities in Berlin 2000-2009: retrospective medicolegal study",
journal="Rechtsmedizin: Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rechtsmedizin",
year="2015",
author="Buschmann, C. T. and Fricke, A. and Tsokos, M. and Hartwig, S.",
volume="25",
number="2",
pages="130-138",
abstract="Fatal injuries from firearms represent a small but important fraction of forensic autopsies. This article presents a retrospective medicolegal study of firearms-related deaths in Berlin from 2000 to 2009. The data analysis focused on the forensic and demographic characteristics and the relationship of these factors to each other. Furthermore, the survival time after gunshot injuries was also analyzed. In this study 332 deaths due to firearms wounds were analyzed of which 90 % were male and the mean age was 54.3 years. More than three quarters of the deaths were suicide mostly using illegally possessed weapons. The shooting hand could be identified in 59 % of the suicide cases. In 86 % the victim died at the scene or on the way to hospital. The median survival time was 2 h 27 min and 30 s. In cases where alcohol was consumed before the shooting incident, the majority (54 %) of victims were severely intoxicated (blood alcohol concentration > 1.5 mg/g). Handguns (pistols 53 % and revolvers 18 %) were most frequently used. Close range shots occurred in 81 %, shots with full perforation were most frequent (62 %) and on average 1.39 shots were fired. Most injuries (66 %) involved the head and the most common causes of death were perforating gunshot wounds to the head (55 %) and penetrating gunshot wounds (21 %). Most firearms-related suicides were committed in the summer months. Killing by firearms was found in 20 % and only one fatal shooting accident was found during the study period. Firearms-related deaths continue to pose a relevant problem in terms of suicide and illegally possessed weapons. Each case requires an interdisciplinary approach as individual morphological aspects cannot per se be considered as evidential for homicidal, suicidal or accidental death. The number of gunshot wounds does not necessarily influence the survival time.<p /> <p>Language: de</p>",
language="de",
issn="0937-9819",
doi="10.1007/s00194-015-0004-y",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00194-015-0004-y"
}