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Unusual suicidal penetrating heart injury by captive-bolt gunshot

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Abstract

We present a case of a 56-year-old man who committed suicide using a captive-bolt gun, pressed against the left side of his chest. As the victim worked as a butcher, slaughtering livestock, he owned a captive-bolt gun. Just before committing suicide, he received a disturbing phone call from a person to whom he owed money. The autopsy revealed a 12-mm wound in the left pectoral region with two symmetrical, oval soot deposits. The wound extended through the fifth left rib, the pericardium, and the inferior portion of the anterior wall of the left ventricle. There was a partial-thickness tear in the left aspect of the interventricular septum with associated contusion. About 300 ml of the blood was found within the pericardial sack and about 1200 ml in the left pleural cavity. Atypical location (left chest vs. head), absence of previous suicide attempts and suicide note, and the apparent immediate provoking event suggest abrupt rather than premeditated suicide.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, IDEAS Program, Grant No. 7749444 (BoFraM project).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade – School of Medicine, 31a Deligradska str, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Slobodan Nikolić, Tatjana Atanasijević & Vladimir Živković

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  1. Slobodan Nikolić
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  2. Tatjana Atanasijević
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  3. Vladimir Živković
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Correspondence to Vladimir Živković.

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This study was the result of a routine forensic autopsy and did not compromise any procedure; therefore, obtaining formal consent was not necessary.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nikolić, S., Atanasijević, T. & Živković, V. Unusual suicidal penetrating heart injury by captive-bolt gunshot. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 18, 260–263 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-021-00456-z

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