[Suicide by double bolt gunshot wound to the head: case report and review of the literature].

Suicidal gunshot wounds from a livestock stunner with infliction of two shots against the head are extremely rare events. A case with these characteristics is presented and the corresponding literature is reviewed. A 61-year-old butcher was found dead with two entry wounds of the forehead on the right side and in the centre being typical for captive bolt pistols (symmetrically localized powder burns). The issues of the sequence of shots and the capacity of action are discussed on the basis of morphological findings and pathophysiological considerations. A literature review revealed only 4 case reports with double gunshot wounds of the skull caused by "humane killers" (Tovo 1956, Wolff and Laufer 1965, Schiermeyer 1973, Pollak 1977).