GUNSHOT FATALITIES IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEUSE OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS

During the years 1980-1992 the Swedish legislation regarding possessio n and use of firearms has remained fairly unchanged. Simultaneously th e reported incidence of bath stolen firearms and confiscation of illeg ally possessed handguns has increased significantly. In order to deter mine the impact of this trend on gunshot mortality, all victims of fir earm fatalities subjected to medicolegal autopsy in the Stockholm area 1980-81 and 1990-91 were studied. The overall two-year rate increased from 50 to 65, homicides and suicides contributing seven new cases ea ch; accidents and ''not determined'' comprising only 0 to 2 cases in e ach period. Suicides were four times as common as homicides in the for mer period; ca. three times as common in the latter. Thus, a 70% incre ase in homicidal shooting has occurred (from 10 to 17), and the fatal use of illegal firearms increased from 50% to 93%. As expected, there was a definite male dominance (96%) among perpetrators as well as amon g victims (85%). Concerning suicides, the rate in the latter period wa s 18% above that in the former; illegal guns were used in 30% in 1990- 91 as compared to 20% 1980-81. The pattern of wounding in suicides was similar to that reported in earlier studies; confirming that entrance wounds in the back, extremities and lower abdomen are indicative of h omicide. Thus, common sense knowledge of firearm fatalities are confir med: More widespread access to illegal weapons conveys a higher rate o f gunshot fatalities. The perpetrator is likely to be male. Suicidal s hots are usually aimed at the head (mouth, temple, forehead) or precor dium. Most gunshot suicides are committed by means of legally possesse d firearms.