Deaths due to tired bullet injuries: Evaluation from medical, legal, and social perspectives

BACKGROUND: In Türkiye, as in other parts of the world, there is a rising trend in individual armament and firearm violence, resembling an epidemic. When fired into the air, bullets eventually lose the initial speed with which they left the barrel and begin to accelerate downwards under the influence of gravity as they fall to the ground. At this point, these projectiles are referred to as “tired bullets,” which cause serious injuries and fatalities. This study evaluates autopsy cases of deaths due to tired bullet injuries. We aimed to raise social awareness and contribute to the literature by exploring the forensic, legal, and social dimensions of tired bullet injuries.
METHODS: From 2013 to 2022, 695 forensic autopsies of gunshot wounds were reviewed at the Trabzon Forensic Medicine Group Presidency. Nine cases were identified where individuals had undergone autopsies and the cause of death was attributed to tired bullet injuries. The data for the cases included in the study was sourced from our archive records and the UYAP (National Judicial Network Project) system. The second stage involved analyzing reports of falling bullet injuries from local and national newspaper websites. In the third stage, the Supreme Court decisions regarding perpetrators of tired bullet incidents were examined.
RESULTS: The study included six male and three female cases, with an average age of 32.5 years. Injuries were predominantly located in the head in seven cases, the eye in one case, and the inguinal region in another. In eight cases, the bullet trajectory was from top to bottom. The incidents predominantly occurred in residential areas. It was observed that all cases received coverage in both national and local media, and campaigns against tired bullet injuries were organized. The perpetrators of these injuries were frequently sentenced for murder with probable intent.
CONCLUSION: Tired bullet injuries represent a significant public health issue that necessitates comprehensive preventative measures addressing medical, legal, and social dimensions. There should be national and international campaigns led by the media, involving all public institutions, organizations, and non-governmental organizations to promote individual disarmament, highlight the dangers of firearms, and stress the importance of these initiatives.

Yorgun mermi yaralanmasýna baðlý ölümler: Týbbi, hukuki ve toplumsal açýdan deðerlendirme

AMAÇ: Tüm dünyada olduðu gibi ülkemizde de her geçen gün salgýn hastalýk gibi bireysel silahlanma ve ateþli silah þiddetinde artýþ görülmektedir. Havaya doðru atýþ edildiðinde, mermi çekirdeði bir süre sonra namludan çýktýðý hýzý kaybedip yer çekiminin etkisiyle hýzlanarak yere düþmeye baþlar. Yorgun mermi olarak adlandýrýla bu aþamada ciddi yaralanmalar ve ölümler meydana gelebilmektedir. Çalýþmamýzda; otopsi yapýlan yorgun mermi yaralanmasýna baðlý ölüm olgularýný, adli týbbi, hukuki ve toplumsal yönleri ile tartýþarak toplumsal farkýndalýk oluþturmayý ve litaretüre katký sunmayý amaçladýk.
GEREÇ VE YÖNTEM: Ýlk aþamada; 2013-2022 tarihleri arasýnda Trabzon Adli Týp Grup Baþkanlýðý’nda ateþli silah yaralanmasýna baðlý adli otopsi iþlemi yapýlan 695 olgu incelendi. Otopsi iþlemi yapýlan ve ölüm nedeni yorgun mermi yaralanmasýna baðlý olduðu tespit edilen 9 olgu tespit edildi. Çalýþmaya dahil edilen olgular hakkýnda bilgiler arþiv kayýtlarýmýzdan ve UYAP (Ulusal Yargý Aðý Projesi) sisteminden elde edildi. Ýkinci aþamada; yerel ve ulusal düzeyde yayýn yapan gazetelerin internet sitelerinden yorgun mermi yaralanmalarý ile ilgili haberler incelendi. Üçüncü aþamada; Yorgun mermi failleri için yüksek mahkeme tarafýndan verilen kararlar araþtýrýldý.
BULGULAR: Olgularýn 6’sý erkek, 3’ü kadýn olup ortalama yaþ 32.5 olarak bulundu. 7 olgunun kafasýndan, 1 olgunun gözünden, 1 olgunun ingiünal bölgesinden yaralandýðý, 8 olguda mermi çekirdeðinin yukarýdan aþaðý seyirle olduðu saptandý. Olaylarýn sýklýkla yerleþim yerlerinde gerçekleþtiði bulundu. Tüm olgularýn ulusal ve yerel basýnda yer aldýðý ve yorgun mermi karþýtý kampanyalarýn düzenlendiði bulundu. Yorgun mermi faillerinin sýklýkla olasý kastla öldürme suçundan cezalandýrýldýðý belirlendi
SONUÇ: Yorgun mermi yaralanmalarý týbbi, hukuki ve toplumsal yönleri ile acil önlem alýnmasý gereken önemli bir halk saðlýðý sorunu olarak karþýmýza çýkmaktadýr. Bireysel silahsýzlanmayý teþvik etmek, silahýn tüm zararlý yönlerini tanýtmak ve vurgulamak amacýyla, medyanýn öncülüðünde tüm kamu kurum ve kuruluþlarý ile sivil toplum kuruluþlarýnýn katýlýmýyla ulusal ve uluslararasý kampanyalar düzenlenmelidir.