SHOOTING INCIDENT

RECONSTRUCTION
SECOND EDITION

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PRELIMS.indd ii 4/26/2011 3:54:03 PM
 SHOOTING
INCIDENT
RECONSTRUCTION
SECOND EDITION
MICHAEL G. HAAG
Forensic Science Consultants
Albuquerque, New Mexico

LUCIEN C. HAAG
Forensic Science Services, Inc.
Carefree, Arizona

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SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
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 Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier
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Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and
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Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Haag, M. G.
Shooting incident reconstruction / Michael G. Haag and Lucien C. Haag. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Lucien Haag is the first named author of the earlier ed.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-12-382241-3 (alk. paper)
1. Forensic ballistics. I. Haag, Lucien C. II. Title.
HV8077.H22 2011
363.25'62—dc22 2011005208
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

For information on all Academic Press publications

visit our Web site at www.elsevierdirect.com

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 This second edition is dedicated to the many unsung seekers of fact (my wife,
father, and many friends included) amidst the chaos that humanity brings
upon itself. May we all endeavor to keep our sense of wonder and curiosity
in the face of bureaucracy.

Also, to Luke and Sandi for a much-appreciated boost into a career I love, and to
my wife, whose unswerving support in this wild profession has been
a source of unbelievable strength.
Michael Haag

For Sandi, Matt, and Mike for whom nearly every picnic or outing
in our beautiful Arizona desert ended in gunfire.
And to the memory of Gene Wolberg.
Lucien Haag

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 Contents

Introduction xi
Introduction to First Edition 5. Some Useful Reagents
by Lucien C. (Luke) Haag xv and Their Application 67
Introduction 67
1. Case Approach, Philosophy, and Testing for Copper, Lead, and Nickel 67
Objectives 1 The Dithiooxamide Test for Copper Residues 70
The Sodium Rhodizonate Test for Lead Residues 75
Why This Book? 1 Direct-Application Methods for Testing 77
Reconstruction: The Ultimate Goal of Criminalistics 2 “Lifting,” or Transfer, Methods for Testing 79
Basic Skills and Approach to Casework 2 The Dimethylglyoxime Test for Nickel Residues 81
General Philosophy 5 Summary and Concluding Comments 84
The Scientific Method 6
Specific Considerations 7 6. Distance and Orientation
Summary and Concluding Comments 10
Derived from Gunshot
Residue Patterns 87
2. Working Shooting Scenes 13
Introduction 87
Introduction 13
Target Materials 93
The Team 14
Interpretation and Reporting of Results 93
At the Scene 15
GSR and Revolvers 95
Investigation Teams and Laboratory Work 27
The Modified Griess Test for Nitrite Residues 97
New Techniques in Shooting Scene
Primer Residues 100
Investigations 27
Summary and Concluding Comments 102
Summary and Concluding Comments 31
7. Projectile Penetration
3. The Reconstructive Aspects and Perforation 105
of Class Characteristics and
a Limited Universe 35 Introduction 105
Sheetrock/Wallboard 106
Bullet Design and Construction 35 Wood 110
Class Characteristics and Fired Cartridge Casings 38 Sheet Metal 112
Class Characteristics and Fired Bullets 41 Rubber and Elastics 118
Revolvers and the Limited Universe 47 Plastics 123
The Worth of Weight 48 Summary and Concluding Comments 123
Summary and Concluding Comments 53
8. Projectiles and Glass 125
4. Is It a Bullet Hole? 55 Introduction 125
The Question of Holes 55 Evidence of Glass Impact on Bullets 125
Bullet Holes in Typical Materials 62 Types of Glass 129
Summary and Concluding Comments 65 Summary and Concluding Comments 141

vii

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 viii CONTENTS

9. Projectile Ricochet and Deflection 143 13. True Ballistics: Long-Range

Introduction 143 Shootings and Falling Bullets 219
Definitions 144 Introduction 219
Examining Ricocheted Bullets 146 Basics of Exterior Ballistics and Their Forensic
Projectile Impacts 151 Application 220
The Post-Impact Flight of Ricocheted Case Situations: An Overview 225
and Deflected Bullets 164 Maximum-Range Trajectories 229
Wounds from Ricocheted and Deflected Bullets 165 Potential Procedure for Long-Distance Shooting
Perforating Projectiles and Perforated Objects 168 Reconstruction 238
Summary and Concluding Comments 172 Summary and Concluding Comments 243

14. Cartridge Case Ejection

10. The Principles of “Trajectory” and Ejection Patterns 245
Reconstruction 175
Introduction 245
Introduction 175 Scene Work—Terrain/Substrate Considerations 246
Bullet Hole Location and Angular Components Review of Marks on Fired Cartridge Casings 248
of a Projectile’s Path 175 Laboratory Examination of Ejected Cartridge
Measurement Procedures 177 Cases 252
Nonperforating Bullet Paths 183 Manually Operated Firearms 262
Lasers’ Use, Advantages, and Limitations 185 Summary and Concluding Comments 262
Thoughts About Reconstructed Angles 186
Trajectory Reconstruction Techniques, Tools, 15. The Shooting of Motor
and Supplies 187
Vehicles 265
Summary and Concluding Comments 188
Introduction 265
Vehicles at a Scene 266
11. Determining Bullet Track Projectile Strikes 270
(“Trajectory”) in Gunshot Summary and Concluding Comments 275
Victims 191
Introduction 191 16. Shotgun Shootings and Evidence 277
Entry and Reentry Wounds 193 Introduction 277
Gunshot Wound Projectile Path Shotgun Design and Nomenclature 279
Determination 195 Choke and Patterning 282
Blood Spatter and Gunshot Wounds 197 Shot Charges and Dram Equivalents 283
Survivors of Gunshot Wounds 199 Wads and Shotcups 284
Projectile Deformation in Bodies 201 Powder, Gunshot Residues, and Buffer
Summary and Concluding Comments 204 Material 287
The Exterior Ballistics of Shotgun Pellets 288
Summary and Concluding Comments 292
12. Trace Evidence Considerations
Associated with Firearms 207
17. Sound Levels of Gunshots,
Introduction 207 Supersonic Bullets, and Other
Locard’s Principle Revisited: Trace Evidence Impulse Sounds 295
Transfer and Deposit Examples 208
Trace Evidence Sequence of Events: Three Introduction 295
Case Examples 212 The Nature of Gunshots and Their
Summary and Concluding Comments 216 Measurements 295

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 CONTENTS ix
Human Experience and Weighted Scales in Legal Challenges and Reconstructists’ Role
Sound Level Meters 296 in Litigation 332
Multiple Firearms of the Same Make Reports and Report Writing 336
and Model 307 A Test for the Reader 337
Velocity and Muzzle Pressure Versus Suggested General Outline for Reports 344
Peak dB 312 Concluding Comments about the Book 350
Supersonic Bullets 322
A Frame of Reference for Judges and Jurors 325 Appendix 353
Summary and Concluding Comments 328
Glossary 387
18. Ultimate Objectives, Reports, Index 409
and Court Presentations 331
Introduction 331
Explaining What Reconstructionists Do 331

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 Introduction

As I write this second edition of Shooting Take comfort in that, and know that while
Incident Reconstruction, I reflect on my expe- we should always keep an open mind to
riences with firearms and my professional criticisms and new ideas, we are not driven
experiences with investigations of shooting to any conclusion to please a lawyer, police
incidents. I was extremely fortunate to have investigator, plaintiff, defendant, judge, or
grown up with two fantastic parents who supervisor. Most carefully, we should guard
encouraged inquisitiveness, thoughtfulness, against any belief that what we conclude
and a sense of excitement for the unknown. is relevant to any sort of sense of justice. At
Such characteristics are common in the indi- the end of the day, we must all report only
viduals who have inspired me personally what we believe the evidence is telling us.
and professionally. This may mean a simple “I don’t know” or
Of the volumes of information I have col- “Inconclusive”; that is, the result is the best
lected from my dad, there is one quote that we can glean from the available informa-
I commonly find comforting when dealing tion. The scientists who do their job correctly
with lawyers, investigators, and peers. It are at peace with this, knowing that we are
sums up a very pure thought and intention interpreters, and a voice, for otherwise mute
that should be a foundational belief of any- physical evidence. We are not avenging
one in this profession: “We aren’t in the hap- angels, servants of a higher power, or pup-
piness business.” No matter what we find, pets to simply repeat or publish what an
someone will be unhappy. Unlike the many attorney or police official would like to hear.
“CSI” programs that populate television From my earliest years, I remember see-
these days, it is a fact of real life in foren- ing both the positive and the negative effects
sics. One side or the other will want to find of people’s use of firearms. Many of my
something to criticize in our work, and that weekends from grade school on were spent
is the nature of an adversarial legal system. in the beautiful Arizona deserts and forests
In the end, this is a good thing. It ensures conducting experimental research or case
that we are always on our toes as we attempt investigations relating to firearms. These
to improve the quality of our work. It also endeavors were often spawned from some
means that we should be open to new ideas horrific event created by one human being’s
and concepts because the way we investi- actions toward another, but the more impor-
gate events is always changing (hopefully tant aspect of these times were the life les-
for the better). In an era in which ASCLD- sons I learned from my parents with regard
ISO literature governing the accreditation to personal use of firearms and respect for
of crime laboratories in the United States them.
attempts to have the scientist act in a fashion While I was becoming familiar with the
that is oriented toward “customer” service, reconstructive aspects of firearms and of
the correct forensic scientist will step back ammunition, as well as terminal and external
and repeat the mantra, “I am not in the happi- ballistics, I was almost subconsciously learn-
ness business.” ing about the great responsibilities that should

xi

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 xii INTRODUCTION

be associated with the ownership of fire- Following the receipt of his Bachelor
arms. These lessons of conscientiousness and of Science degree from the University
responsibility should be, and are, common of California at Berkeley, Luke took sev-
sense to most law-abiding owners of firearms. eral courses in criminalistics at California
But there is a strange dichotomy in my life in State College at Long Beach, where he first
that my work and passion—shooting incident became aware that firearms identification
reconstruction—is fueled by the antithesis of was a part of this profession. A career in
these tenents. criminalistics and a position in a crime labo-
The first edition of this book was written ratory would be a way to apply his training
by my father as a result of a life-long interest in chemistry, math, and physics to tests and
in and enjoyment of firearms: their power, experiments with firearms.
their mystique, their ability to defend a life, This ideal arrangement was realized
to save a life, and to take a life. We are both when he obtained a position as a criminalist
passionate about the Second Amendment— for the City of Phoenix in June of 1965. His
in fact, all of the amendments to the U.S. arrival there made the Phoenix Police Crime
Constitution—and are always very troubled Laboratory a two-man organization. It was a
by those who would pervert it, abolish it, or classic case of being in the right place at the
deny law-abiding citizens the ability to keep right time.
and bear arms in the defense of themselves During the next decade, he worked in
and others. all sections of this growing crime labora-
For Luke also, an interest in firearms tory, including the new firearms section.
started when he was a boy. He grew up Sometime during the 1970s he became the
outside of Springfield, Illinois, where he supervising criminalist of the Phoenix lab.
received his first BB gun, a Red Ryder 500- All the while, the firearms-friendly State
shot lever-action blue-steel beauty that still of Arizona provided many locations and
today resides somewhere among the many opportunities to carry out applied research,
firearms he has come to own. and he began writing and publishing papers
During his high-school years in Lynwood, in the forensic literature.
California, Luke became an avid hand In 1982 Luke left the Phoenix laboratory to
loader for several centerfire rifles and hand- start his own consulting company specializ-
guns, joined the high school rifle team, and ing in the investigation of shooting incidents.
often spent his weekends in the Mohave He then continued to experiment, to pub-
Desert camping and enjoying informal tar- lish, and to give training seminars related to
get shooting. It was during these outings firearms evidence and shooting scene recon-
that he came to be more and more interested struction. These seminars and workshops
in the technical and scientific aspects of fire- ultimately became the book Shooting Incident
arms. He began to ponder questions such as Reconstruction, first published in 2005.
“How far do bullets travel?” “How far do The dedication in the first edition has a
ricocheted bullets travel?” “What do such somewhat tongue-in-cheek apology to my
bullets look like after they have ricocheted mother, my older brother Matt, and me for
off a variety of surfaces?” “What do a bullet “subjecting” us to experiments that were
and a gunshot sound like when heard from nearly always a part of any outing in the
a substantial distance downrange?” “How desert or mountains of our state. My memo-
deeply do bullets penetrate into a variety of ries of my youth often involved some sort
materials?” of experimenting. Soon I was helping my

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 INTRODUCTION xiii
father with his experiments, and my brother had on the science of shooting incident
and I were presented with guns of our reconstruction, he is the most humble man
own from our trusting parents, along with I know.
instructions in the safe and responsible han- I would like to express my deep appre-
dling of same, as a classic right of passage ciation to the many law enforcement offic-
into adulthood for an American boy. ers and crime scene investigators I have met
In more ways than I can count, my dad’s and worked with who have the fortitude
interest in “all things firearms” wore off on and integrity to conduct themselves profes-
me. Those many weekends in grade school sionally in the face of some of the worst acts
spent getting up before sunrise to trek out human beings can commit on one another.
into the fantastic Arizona desert were some- While I have met my share of individuals
times grueling but always rewarding. And in this profession I would not particularly
I mean that not just in the sense of learn- care to associate with, the overwhelming
ing about my future profession but, more majority have been some of the best people
important, in the sense of learning about I will ever meet. Luck, fate, fortune, or des-
work ethic, about responsibility (in more tiny brought me to one of the finest police
than just the use of firearms), and about my organizations in the country. I am grateful
dad. Most in “the business” know him pro- to have worked with the investigators, sci-
fessionally, but I consider myself beyond entists, detectives, and supervisors of the
privileged to also know his peculiar sense Albuquerque Police Department.
of humor and about the many things that he As much as the first edition of this book
holds as imperatively sacrosanct. was my dad’s work, and this one is mine,
none of it would have been possible without
the strong backing of my wonderful wife
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Kimberly DaVia Haag, who is also a well-
known and respected firearm and toolmark
I feel that I have had an almost unfair examiner. If I were to die tomorrow, I would
advantage in this field because of my con- feel proud and thankful to have had even a
tact with my dad. I am always touched by week in her company. For every bit of tur-
the fact that I can travel halfway (or all the bulence during the flight, she has been the
way) around the world and find investiga- tailwind making the journey better.
tor after investigator who he has helped in It is my sincere hope that readers of this
one way or another. He is always there to text will share in my enthusiasm and pas-
lend an ear and give a helpful suggestion. sion for this work.
Especially considering all of his accom-
plishments, and the positive effect he has Michael G. Haag

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ITR2.indd xiv 4/26/2011 4:03:45 PM
 Introduction to First Edition

At the time this introduction was writ- also pressure us to extend ourselves beyond
ten, the author had been employed as a where we should go in the furtherance of
criminalist and forensic firearm examiner their cause. Our employer’s cause must not
for more than 39 years, 17 of these with the become our cause. Our only advocacy must
Phoenix Arizona Police Department as a be for our analysis of the evidence carried
criminalist and later as technical director of out by scientifically sound means.
that laboratory, followed by another 22 as a As well, the reader should remember that
private consultant working for prosecutors; it is often our cross-examiner’s mission to
private attorneys; educational institutions; make us look like biased witnesses, fools,
insurance companies; law firms; firearms lackeys, mountebanks, or incompetents. The
manufacturers; and, on occasion, private witness stand is a decidedly uncomfortable
individuals. I had always found the work environment for most scientists, and one
interesting and challenging and still do. best observed in the movies or on television
The concept of how science might aid the rather than from the actual site. It is, and
court and jury in determining what did and should be, a stressful place, but it is one that
did not happen in the matter at trial is still I have become used to and have even come
an exciting one for me. Although many of to enjoy for the reasons stated earlier.
us in the field of forensic science frequently At the risk of seeming a bit immodest,
disparage lawyers and the legal process, it it occurred to me that some readers might
is the anomalous trial outcome that gains be interested in how I became gainfully
our attention and generates our scorn. Most employed (indeed, well paid) shooting guns
of the time juries are able to grasp the evi- and shooting things for a living.
dence we present, and that should be all I grew up in the Midwest in the late 1940s
that matters. What they do with that infor- and early 1950s. Guns—some of which were
mation may be, at times, disappointing to always loaded—were in almost every home
us personally but their decision is not ours and farmhouse I visited. My childhood
to make and it may often be made on some friends all had access to firearms, and after
other basis than observations and opinions school we could often be found in a field with
derived from the physical evidence. a rifle or shotgun. This was with our parents’
Working within the legal system is also permission but without them necessarily
fascinating. I suspect nearly all of us enjoy a being present. It was an age of trust on their
good courtroom drama. A trial can be high part and personal responsibility on our part.
exciting, involving verbal and mental chess At the age of 6 or 7 I received my first
on the part of lawyers and witnesses. Lives, Red Ryder BB gun from my father, and this
careers, futures, personal freedom, and, in is when my marksmanship training began.
civil cases, large amounts of money are often Neither I nor my friends ever considered
at stake. The side that calls us as expert wit- using a gun to commit a crime or to endanger
nesses will usually praise our work, but may someone or damage property. We certainly

xv

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 xvi INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION

never discussed shooting at one of our class- our special knowledge and proficiency with
mates, our school, or our teachers. firearms is why we are citizens and not sub-
My fondest memories of my father are of jects. It is why we rightfully honor men such
getting up before daybreak, having break- as Alvin York and Audie Murphy—those
fast at some roadside truck stop, and then who grew up with firearms and used them
getting into the frosty woods at dawn with for hunting, sport, and recreation and later
the sound of crunching autumn leaves used them so effectively in the defense of
underfoot and with my rifle or my shotgun freedom.
in hand. It didn’t much matter whether we In their day and in my youth, firearms
got any squirrels or rabbits or whatever were more accessible and readily available
was the quarry of the day. We walked and with little or no restrictions (other than
talked, and I learned of nature. those imposed by our parents) than they are
My father taught me firearms safety and today. And there were no school shootings,
personal responsibility. I saw firsthand that gang shootings, drive-by shootings, or any
firearms, even my diminutive .22 rifle, were of the other senseless acts of violence com-
capable of inflicting serious and fatal wounds. mitted with firearms such as we see today.
Guns were not toys or something to be han- As Hugh Downs (a well-known television
dled carelessly. And my father trusted me commentator) once pointed out in reference
with guns. That meant a lot. I wish he were to the present-day misuse of firearms, “It’s a
here to read this now. His lessons were ones software problem, not a hardware problem.”
that I have carried with me all of my life and But what of my life-long interest in fire-
have since passed on to my sons. arms and how it relates to this book and its
The use of guns in films of that time was subject matter? I did bring home my share
typically portrayed as on the side of good. of rabbits and squirrels from the fields and
The Lone Ranger, Red Ryder, Roy Rogers, woods of central Illinois, but hunting was
Gene Autry, and all the other lesser-known never a burning passion with me. I was more
heroes of the Saturday matinee seldom had interested in how far and how accurately a
to shoot anyone because they were so com- bullet could be fired; what it looked like after
petent and proficient in the use of their Colt it hit or penetrated something. Why did bul-
single-action revolver or their Winchester lets make that fascinating whining sound
rifle. They usually either shot the gun out when I straddled a railroad track and rico-
of the bad guy’s hand or simply got “the cheted bullets off the iron rail after an impact
drop” on them through their superiority in at a low incident angle? I shot up a box of
firearms handling. These were classic moral- cartridges just to hear the sound that the
ity plays of good over evil in which fire- departing bullets made. I even heard some
arms were an integral part. But today the of these bullets impact the ground some dis-
blood-soaked films from Hollywood show tance downrange and subsequently searched
guns creating unimaginable death, destruc- many times, in vain, in an effort to find one
tion, and mayhem in the shortest time pos- just to see if its “new” shape corresponded
sible. They are typically possessed by the to the gray elliptical smear of lead at the
psychologically flawed and unfit. It is dif- impact site on the rail. (These characteristic
ficult to think of a film in the past 20 years impact marks are discussed and can be seen
that depicts a gun on the side of right and in Chapter 6.)
in the hands of an honest person of char- While shooting at sticks floating down a
acter. It seems that we have forgotten that slow-moving stream from an old covered

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 INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION xvii
bridge, I noticed that the sound of the bullet’s Police Crime Lab opened up. It was the clas-
impact with the water changed at a recurring sic case of being at the right place and the
point downrange, and it became apparent right time.
that, whereas at closer distances the bullets During the years I worked in the Phoenix
were entering the water, at greater distances Lab, I was able to apply my interest in fire-
they were ricocheting. The phenomenon arms to casework. I quickly became a mem-
I was dealing with is critical angle—I just ber of AFTE (the Association of Firearm and
didn’t know the name for it in 1952. In sub- Tool Mark Examiners) and began giving
sequent years, I also fired many bullets verti- presentations at annual meetings and writ-
cally upward on calm days in the deserts of ing articles for the AFTE Journal. I started
California and Arizona with the misplaced assembling handout materials for classes
hope of hearing one return to the ground. (I and workshops dealing with firearms’ evi-
had previously measured the roundtrip time dence and the reconstruction of shooting
for BBs from my Red Ryder and a Crosman incidents for various organizations.
pellet gun in my back yard in Illinois.) Colleagues, students from these classes,
During my high school years in Southern and my wife Sandi all urged me to put these
California, I shot competitively on a church- things together in the form of a book. This
sponsored rifle team. Yes, dear reader, at that I have now done. But there is an additional
time churches and schools and colleges spon- reason and it arises as a consequence of my
sored rifle teams and even supplied many of many years of reviewing the work of others
the guns! Even the University of California at who were most often employed by govern-
Berkeley had a rifle club when I started there ment laboratories. A very troubling change
in 1961. Firearms and the people (including has been taking place in these laboratories
the young) who enjoyed shooting them had over the last 30 years. They are taking on
not yet been portrayed as they are today. I also the properties of a clinical laboratory where
became an avid hand loader in my teenage the detective or investigator selects from a
years (and still am today), and many of my menu of tests (e.g., identify the fired bullet
weekends during those years involved infor- or cartridge case with the submitted gun,
mal target practice in various remote loca- measure the trigger pull of the submit-
tions in the Mojave Desert of California. All ted gun, check the gun’s safety system for
the time I was observing and learning things proper operation).
about firearms and ammunition that would In this strictly reactive role, the forensic
become useful in later years and that are now scientist no longer functions as a scientist at
incorporated between the covers of this book. all. Rather, his or her role has been reduced
After receiving my degree in chemistry to that of a technician. Little or no discus-
from Cal-Berkeley, I discovered the field of sion between the submitter and the labo-
Criminalistics through several courses at ratory examiner takes place regarding the
California State University at Long Beach details and issues associated with the case.
and realized for the first time that I could The technician in this “clinical lab” is sim-
apply and utilize my interest in firearms ply responding to the submitter’s requests.
professionally. I began interviewing and He or she may be doing the requested tests
taking tests to join the staff of several crime correctly and in accordance with some
laboratories in Southern California, where approved, standardized, certified, or accred-
I was living at the time. In 1965 a position for ited methodology, but is not fulfilling the
a second person in the then small Phoenix true role of a forensic scientist.

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 xviii INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION

It is the author’s hope that this book not The gun is a witness that speaks but once
only will acquaint the reader with the many and tells its story with forceful truth to the inter-
preter who can understand the language.
reconstructive aspects of firearms evidence Everything that has a basis in physics is
but will also inspire and reorient the foren- capable of being explained. All we have to do is
sic scientists who examine such evidence. to find the explanation.
Firearms, expended cartridge cases, fired
bullets, the wounds they inflict, the damage Lucien C. (Luke) Haag
they produce, and the damage they sustain
all tell a story. This book is intended to serve Reference and Further Reading
as a guide to understanding their language.
Kelly, G.G., 1963. The Gun in the Case. Whitcombe &
A couple of abbreviated quotes from G.G. Tombs, Ltd., Christschurch, NZ.
Kelly, the first arms and ballistics officer for
the New Zealand Police, say it all:

The gun speaks . . . and the message of the

gun is there to read by one who knows the
language.

Sandra M. Haag and Lucien C. Haag

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