Two case reports of fatal injuries sustained from tear gas guns loaded with pebbles as missiles.

Abstract

These two case reports are of fatal injuries from less-lethal weapons (tear gas guns) using pebbles as an unconventional ammunition. Reported here are the fatal outcomes of two 19-year-old males, one with head trauma and the other with abdominal trauma. They were admitted to the ED and subjected to immediate exploratory operations, but they passed away. On autopsy, the first case demonstrated a right frontal bone fracture with subdural hemorrhage and a 3 × 2.5 cm pebble retained in the skull. The second case showed severe liver laceration in close vicinity to a cubical pebble (3.2 × 3 cm). The mechanical forces involved in skull fracture and autopsy are discussed. In the current cases, the relatively larger weight and size together with the surface configuration of the pebble projectile were the main influential factors that contributed to the severity of damage and fatality.These case reports are a working example of the effect of the mass of projectiles in increasing the power of penetration. The direct shooting to the head and the abdomen together with the misuse of these weapons are capable of inflicting fatal injuries.