Characteristics of firearms involved in fatalities
S. W. Hargarten, T. A. Karlson, M. O'Brien, J. Hancock and E. Quebbeman
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
OBJECTIVES--To document the types of firearms associated with firearm
fatalities, and to determine the availability of information on firearm
characteristics in existing data sources. DESIGN--Review of police, medical
examiner, and crime laboratory records for all firearm homicides and review
of medical examiner records for all suicides and unintentional and
undetermined firearm fatalities. SETTING--City of Milwaukee, Wis, from 1990
through 1994. POPULATION--A total of 175 firearm suicides and 524 firearm
homicides. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Source of data; circumstances and means
of death; host demographic characteristics; firearm make, model, caliber,
barrel length, and serial number. RESULTS--Handguns accounted for 468 (89%)
of 524 firearm homicides and 124 (71%) of 175 firearm suicides. Handguns of
.25 caliber accounted for 14% (n = 63) of 438 firearm homicides and 12% (n
= 15) of all firearm suicides in which caliber was known. The Raven MP-25
was the single most commonly identified firearm and accounted for 10% (n =
15) of 153 handgun homicide cases and 7% (n = 7) of the 76 suicide cases in
which the manufacturer of the firearm was identified. From all data sources
combined, information on firearm type was available in 681 (97%) of 699
cases, caliber/gauge in 636 cases (91%), manufacturer/model in 309 cases
(44%), and serial number in 276 cases (40%). CONCLUSIONS--Inexpensive,
short-barreled .25-caliber handguns were the most common weapon type
associated with firearm homicides and suicides in Milwaukee during 1990
through 1994. Product-specific information is a crucial part of planning
appropriate injury countermeasures for firearms. In combination, police,
crime laboratory, and medical examiner data can supply this information
with modest changes in data collection procedures.
