Can “tired bullets” be fatal?
Brain Injury, vol.40, no.5, pp.426-428, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 40 Issue: 5
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1080/02699052.2026.2619857
- Journal Name: Brain Injury
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, BIOSIS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
- Page Numbers: pp.426-428
- Keywords: accidental, energy, firearm, injury, Tired bullets
- Ankara University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This case report describes a six year-old boy who was diagnosed as having an accidental firearm injury from a ‘tired bullet.’ When a shot is fired at a right angle into the sky, the bullet loses its kinetic energy and velocity after a certain distance, then starts to fall and reaccelerate due to gravity. Injuries from free-falling bullets, which are variously referred to as ‘tired bullets,’ have been on the rise in recent years due to increasing uncontrolled firearm acquisition.