When a bullet enters the body, the speed at
which it travels, the angle at which it hits the body,
and the density of the tissue involved all contribute
to the damage the shot can cause.
How a bullet wounds
1.Penetration – flesh is disrupted or destroyed by the
bullet.
2. Cavitation – the bullet leaves a hole in the body,
either temporary or permanent, depending on the
elasticity of the tissue or organ struck.
Fragmentation - bullets may shatter on impact and
send fragments through the body. The same thing
may happen if the bullet strikes bone: chips of the
bone may be driven through the body’s tissue,
causing damage in their paths.
Once a bullet enters the body, it crushes and forces
tissue apart. This becomes serious if a major organ
or blood vessel is hit. Only the tissue that has come
into direct contact with the bullet will be damaged.
Hollow point rounds like those used to kill Reeva
Steenkamp magnify this effect substantially, hence
their increased lethality.
Additional damage is caused by shock waves
compressing the tissue in the bullet's path, causing a
temporary cavity. Although temporary cavitation
lasts for less than a second, muscles, nerves, blood
vessels and bone can be damaged.
Gunshot wounds uncovered
Whether a gunshot wound is fatal depends on the
type of gun used, the distance from which the bullet
was fired and where on the body the victim was hit.
According to an article published in the NYU School
of Medicine and Hospitals Journal, bullet wounds
can range from small to huge depending on these
factors. Also, one cannot assume that a bullet travels
in a straight line: for reasons explained below, its
trajectory can be unstable, and internal damage can
be much worse.
Gunshot wounds are described as either
'penetrating' or 'perforating'. The first is when the
bullet enters the body and stays inside; in the
second, the bullet passes through the body. A
wound can be both - for instance, a bullet can
penetrate a part of the body (say, the head) and
perforate, say, the skull or brain.
A perforating wound creates an exit wound where
the bullet leaves the body. It is easy to tell the
difference between an entrance and an exit wound.
Where the bullet entered the body, there will be a
reddish-brown area of scraped skin, and only a little
bleeding.
An exit wound is bigger, and is likely to push out
tissue. There is also likely to be much heavier
bleeding.
What to do in an emergency?
Seek medical help as soon as possible. Ideally,
anyone who has sustained a gunshot wound should
receive medical attention within ten minutes. While
waiting for assistance, there are first aid procedures
you can follow:
- Ensure that you are safe. Move as far away from
the shooter as you can.
- If you are not the victim, make sure that the victim
keeps completely still.
- Follow basic first aid procedures.
- Control bleeding by placing pressure on the
wound.

- Health24