Organic and inorganic gunshot residues on the hands, forearms, face, and nostrils of shooters 30 min after a discharge

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License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_6531F5843981
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Organic and inorganic gunshot residues on the hands, forearms, face, and nostrils of shooters 30 min after a discharge
Journal
Science & Justice
Author(s)
Redouté Minzière Virginie, Weyermann Céline
ISSN
1355-0306
Publication state
Published
Issued date
09/2024
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
64
Number
5
Pages
557-571
Language
english
Abstract
During the investigation of firearm-related incidents, gunshot residues (GSR) can be collected on the scene and individuals (e.g., shooters or bystanders). Their analysis can give valuable information for the reconstruction of the events. Since GSR collection on persons of interest generally occurs a few minutes to hours after discharge, knowledge is needed to understand how organic (O), and inorganic (I) residues are transferred and persist. In this research, the quantities of OGSR and IGSR were assessed on the right and left hands, forearms, face, and nostrils of four shooters. Specimens were collected immediately before the discharge (shooter’s blank specimens) and shortly after (30 min) using carbon adhesive stubs. Organic compounds were first extracted from the collection device and analysed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Subsequently, IGSR particles were detected on the same stub using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS). Shooter’s blank specimen analysis revealed background contamination of both O and IGSR in the shooter’s environment, predominantly attributed to the presence of an indoor shooting range. However, the background quantities generally remained below the associated 30-minute specimen. Thirty minutes after a discharge, higher quantities were generally detected on the shooter’s right and left hands than on other collection regions for both GSR types. Forearms and face emerged as interesting collection alternatives, especially in cases where a person of interest may have washed their hands in the interval between the discharge and collection. In contrast, very low amounts of GSR were detected in the nostrils. Furthermore, the results indicated that OGSR and IGSR have different transfer and persistence mechanisms.
Keywords
Forensic science, firearm discharge residues (FDR), Inorganic elements, Organic compounds, LC-MS, SEM-EDX
Pubmed
Open Access
Yes
Funding(s)
Swiss National Science Foundation / 105211_188898
Create date
09/08/2024 15:29
Last modification date
11/10/2024 20:14
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