SUICIDE WITH AN AIR RIFLE

We report the case of a 14-year-old boy who committed suicide with the use of an air rifle. We include a brief description of his clinical p resentation and course, as well as radiography and autopsy findings. T his case represents an uncommon mechanism of suicide with an instrumen t commonly possessed by adolescents and demonstrates the potential let hality of air rifles. Today's air rifles employ one of three gas-compr ession systems: pneumatic, spring-air, or gas compression. They are ca pable of generating velocities between 200 and 770 feet/second, enabli ng pellets or BBs to penetrate skin, soft tissue, and bone, This case also highlights the need for preventive measures, including public edu cation and legislation.