Intra- and perioral shooting fatalities

Determination of the manner of death in the case of intra- and perioral fir earm wounds can be difficult especially if death scene investigation is unc lear and inadequate. In this study, we investigated some characteristics of these firearm wounds which were autopsied in Istanbul. During the 5-year p eriod from 1991 through 1995, there were 15 intra- and perioral firearm fat alities investigated. In all the cases, only one shot was fired into the mo uth. They constituted 1% of all the firearm fatalities. The mean age of the victims was 27 years and males constituted 73.3% of the victims. Most of t he wounds were caused by handguns. Homicides accounted for 53.3% of these d eaths. Three of 15 cases could not be identified as intraoral firearm wound s by general practitioners during the scene investigations. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.