Intermediate-Target Wound
Definition
An entry wound produced by a bullet that has passed through an intervening object (window glass, plywood, body armour) before striking the victim. The wound may lack a clean abrasion collar if the bullet is tumbling, may contain trace materials from the intermediate target, and may show irregular perforation shape. Velocity is reduced relative to unimpeded fire.
- Field
- Firearm wound interpretation
- Cause
- Bullet passing through an intervening object first
- Examples of intervening objects
- Window glass, plywood, body armour
- Wound features
- May lack clean abrasion collar, irregular shape, trace materials
Common questions
Why might an intermediate-target wound be mistaken for a different kind of injury?+
Because the bullet may be tumbling or deformed after striking the intervening object, the resulting entry wound can lack the clean, round abrasion collar typical of a direct unimpeded shot, sometimes prompting confusion with an atypical or angled entry.
What evidence links a wound to a specific intermediate target?+
Trace materials embedded in or around the wound, such as glass fragments or fibres from the intervening object, along with damage patterns on recovered clothing or the object itself, help connect the wound to the specific barrier the bullet passed through.
Related terms
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- Post-Mortem Wound
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- Ricochet Wound
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- Staging
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- Vital Reaction
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