Defining Patterns and Behaviours of Forward Spatter Gunshot Misting

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study forward-spatter misting patterns by shooting a firearm through a chamber of blood encased in ballistic gel to determine if there is a relationship between bloodstain pattern size as a function of distance and orientation. There is a lack of research on forward spatter, blood travelling in the direction of a bullet, as most studies focus on back spatter, blood travelling in the opposite direction of a bullet. A bullet was fired through ballistic gel containing a blood chamber, depositing bloodstains onto a large sheet of butcher paper as the target surface. In total, there were 34 trials. The distances observed were 10, 20, 40, and 80 cm, the angles tested were 30°, 60°, and 90°. The orientation between the ballistic gel and paper target varied. A criterion was established to observe the overall area and symmetry of the bloodstain patterns. Statistical analyses indicated a negative linear relation relationship between the bloodstain pattern size and the paper’s angle and distance (R2 = 0.78) and the vertical symmetry of the bloodstain (R2 = 0.87). The orientation between the ballistic gel and paper target can impact the bloodstain pattern’s symmetry and size.