Shotgun wounds: a review of range and location as pertaining to manner of death.

Shotguns are used in a considerable number of homicides and suicides, and while gunshot wounds are extensively reported in the literature, there is a paucity of shotgun deaths. To specifically study deaths by shotguns, all deaths due to shotguns examined at the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office between 1988 and 2005 were reviewed. The cases were evaluated by age and sex of the victim, wound location, wound range, and manner of death. Three hundred eighty-seven cases were evaluated, composed of 343 males and 44 females, with 180 homicides, 203 suicides, 3 accidents, and 1 undetermined manner of death. Contact wounds were the most common range in suicides and the head was the most common location. For homicides, the most common range of fire was distant, and the most prevalent distributions of wounds were head, chest, and multiple wound locations. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between homicide and suicide wound locations and ranges, and then odds ratios were generated. Knowledge of the statistical distribution of shotgun wounds in a large series with respect to range of fire and wound location may be of assistance to the medical examiner in evaluating the circumstances of an individual case to arrive at a manner-of-death opinion.