Question 1: The following image shows a victim of a firearm injury. What is the suspected distance of the shot?
- A. Close range
- B. Intermediate range (Correct Answer)
- C. Point blank range
- D. Distant shot
Explanation: ***Intermediate range***
- The image distinctly shows **stippling** (or tattooing), which consists of multiple small abrasions caused by **unburnt powder grains** impacting the skin. This pattern is characteristic of a shot fired from an intermediate range, typically 15 cm to 1 meter (6 inches to 3 feet).
- The absence of a large **soot deposition** (fouling) and the presence of scattered powder grains confirm that the firearm was not fired at a very close or contact range.
*Close range*
- A close-range shot, usually within 10-15 cm (4-6 inches), would typically show **fouling** (blackening by soot) around the wound, in addition to minimal stippling.
- The image does not display the extensive blackening or prominent soot deposition expected from a close-range shot.
*Point blank range*
- A point-blank (contact) shot implies the muzzle of the firearm was in direct contact with the skin, resulting in an **imprint of the muzzle** and significant **soot and gas forcefully driven into the wound track**.
- Such shots often produce a stellate (star-shaped) wound due to gas expansion, and lack the widespread scattered stippling observed in the image because powder is deposited within the wound.
*Distant shot*
- A distant shot, typically beyond 1-1.5 meters (3-5 feet), would show **neither fouling nor stippling**.
- Only the bullet perforates the skin, leaving a simple entrance wound without any surrounding marks from powder or gases.
