Deaths by fire-arms investigated at the Institute for Legal Medicine of the University of Hamburg were analyzed retrospectively since 1966. Among 70,000 deaths (33,000 autopsies) there were 838 fatalities caused by gunshots (about 30 cases per year). One third were classified as homicides, the others as suicides, only 3% as accidents. Almost the entire number of suicides was committed by men (relation male:female 20:1), whereas the proportion of women was higher among the homicides (ratio male:female 3:1). Details referring to the age of the victims, profession-coherence, alcohol-influence, capacity to act and survival-time are analyzed. The kinds of arms, and bullets (with special reference to self-made firearms), criminalistical aspects (i.e. differentiation between homicide and suicide, gun in the hand), morphological findings (i.e. nuchal and oral shots or bullet-related embolism) are introduced.
