There are many case reports of atypical firearm injuries but unexpected direction of the gunfire is found rarely. It is indeed a rare finding that a bullet passes from inguinal area along the length of the thigh without damaging the overlying trouser at the entry. The most important issue in such instance is to decide the manner of death.

A body of a young person was found with bleeding injuries in the abdomen and was confirmed dead on admission to a tertiary hospital. In his right groin, beneath the intact denim trouser, there was a firearm entry wound with burnt margins. The tract was directing downward, inwards and backwards, lacerating the right femoral blood vessels, and exited through a split, at the inner side of right knee with corresponding damage to the trouser. The deceased also had multiple, parallel and superficial scars on the inner aspect of his left hand.

Though he had self-inflicted scars, the site and the direction of the firearm injuries were not elective of suicide.

Attain this direction of fire, without inflicting damage to the overlying garments at the entry is highly unlikely in a homicide.

Carrying the gun under the waist of the trouser is not uncommon and in this case, the gun would have fired accidentally possibly while pulling it out. This conclusion was further confirmed by the absence of damages on the overlying trouser at the entry wound and the unusual longitudinal direction of the tract in the thigh. The most probable manner of death was accidental.

Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science & Law-May 2013;4(1):3-5

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljfmsl.v4i1.6439