Extreme cranial destruction in a suicide by a buckshot loaded into a bangstick

Head injuries from shotguns and high-powered rifles are typically quite devastating, often with extensive soft tissue destruction, skull fractures, and pulpifaction of the brain. Occasionally, the brain is largely expelled from the cranial vault and may be found near the body.

This young man committed suicide by inflicting a contact shotgun-type injury with a round of buckshot loaded into a “bangstick”. A bangstick is a weapon that can be used in hunting alligators or protecting oneself from sharks. When the pipe-like end of the metal bangstick is rapidly thrust against a surface, it fires a single round. At the scene, note the severe cranial injuries and surrounding environmental blood and tissue staining. Also, note that although there was extensive trauma and immediate incapacitation, the weapon stayed grasped in the victim’s hands.

Despite the extreme amount of cranial destruction, careful and meticulous reapproximation of the calvarium, scalp, and facial tears allows for the demonstration and confirmation of a frontal entrance wound. Reconstruction of the wound can be very important to determine particular wound characteristics in cases of alleged homicide.

Buckshot is the largest type of “shot” loaded in shotgun shells and a typical buckshot load consists of multiple medium diameter pellets. There are many different types and variations of buckshot currently in use, but 12 gauge “00” (“double-aught”) buckshot consisting of 9 (sometimes more) .33 caliber pellets, is the most common. As the name would suggest, buckshot was originally designed for use on medium-sized species of game such as deer. That being said, buckshot is absolutely devastating when used at close range.