A Case Report of Suicide with a Homemade Handgun (Plastic Model Gun).
10.7580/KoreanJLegMed.2012.36.2.174
- Author:
Joo Yong LEE
1
;
Jeong Ho GOO
;
Sang Han LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Logistics Management of Air Force, Daegu, Korea.
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
suicide;
homemade;
handgun;
military
- MeSH:
Depression;
Firearms;
Humans;
Korea;
Military Personnel;
Plastics;
Phobic Disorders;
Suicide;
Thorax;
United States;
Wounds, Gunshot;
Young Adult
- From:Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
2012;36(2):174-177
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Unlike the United States, cases of firearm suicides in Korea are rare and are usually limited to military soldiers and policemen. In addition, there is no case report of a suicide by a homemade handgun in Korea. The present victim was a 24-year-old soldier with a fascination for firearms. He had a history of depression and social phobia during his military service. He constructed a homemade handgun from a plastic model gun, also known as a BB gun. During the vacations, he committed suicide with the homemade gun, which caused a penetrating gunshot wound to his chest. The structure and ammunition of the homemade handgun is demonstrated in this report. We have also discussed a few details of the forensic investigation and evaluation of the homemade handgun fatality.
