A fatal muzzle/barrel injury by home-made firearm-an unusual mechanism

Trap guns are a type of home-made firearms common to Sri Lanka. Prevalent in the rural regions of the country, their main purpose is to protect crops from wild animals. It consists of a long metal pipe with a basic firing mechanism which is activated by a trip wire. Although the firing range and capacity to injure are low, they have a high propensity for causing accidental injury to unintended targets.

A 42- year-old female was brought to the emergency department with the metal pipe of a trap gun penetrating through her head. According to eyewitnesses, she had thrown the trap gun, which upon impact with the floor fired in the direction of the floor. The force of fire energized the body of the trap gun to rebound with massive force. It impacted the victim's forehead and penetrated through the skull. Shortly after admission, she was pronounced dead and an autopsy was conducted. Autopsy revealed entry and exit wounds at the left supra-orbital ridge and right parietal bone respectively, with significant laceration of the brain matter. The trajectory of the metal pipe was further confirmed by antemortem computed tomography (CT) imaging.

This highlights the first reported case where accidental activation of a trap gun from direct force, caused the body of the trap gun to rebound and inflict fatal injuries on a distant, unintended individual.