Automatic Rifle Injuries: Suicide by Eight Bullets. Report of an Unusual Case and a Literature Review

This article describes the suicide of a 25-year-old, who shot himself himself 8 times with a military rifle set on automatic. The autor discusses some of the pathologic features of firearm wounds, & the role of the medical examiner. He also describes how to determine whether a firearm death is an accident, homicide, or suicide. Usually, the number of shots differentiates suicide from homicide; however, in the case of an automatic weapon, this is not a reliable indicator. (VM)