Firearm Fatalities in Benghazi from 2011 to 2013

Abstract

The present work aimed to determine and analyze the pattern of firearm injuries among deaths at Benghazi Medico-Legal Center (Al Jala mortuary), Ministry of Justice, Libya, during 2011-2013. A retrospective study from 2011 to 2013 was conducted to evaluate firearm fatalities referred to the Medico-legal Center. Collected data were statistical analyzed. There were 181 firearm deaths received during the study period. More than half of fatalities were reported in 2011 as they represented 97 (53.6%) deaths, and 40 (22.1%) deaths occurred in 2012. The remaining deaths 44 (24.3%) occurred in 2013. Male gender was the predominant gender among the overall cases as they represented 173 cases (95.6%), overall mean age 29.53 (±10.6) years. The mean age was very close over the three years. The firearm injuries among the surveyed deaths through the three years were either gunshot (81.8%) or explosive injury (18.9%). Military homicidal manner of death was predominantly during 2011, on the other hand, civilian homicidal manner of death was more in 2012 and 2013.