5 ms·

On December 10, 2004, the journalist was found dead in his apartment, having ended his eight-year downfall with two .38-caliber bullets to the head. That's cer

On December 10, 2004, the journalist was found dead in his apartment, having ended his eight-year downfall with two .38-caliber bullets to the head. That's certainly interesting. How do you shoot yourself in the head twice?

vasilipupkin 12y ago
with a semi-automatic weapon?
- ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
  A semi-automatic means that when you pull the trigger, a single bullet is fired. Its not a fully auto or anything of the sort. Still doesn't explain how you shoot yourself twice with a weapon that fires one round at a time.
  - MichaelGG 12y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539387 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539387 It's rare, of course, but apparently happens sometimes. If the first shot doesn't disable, then more may be required. As far as Gary Webb's case, it sounds like suicide, according to Wikipedia. He was apparently depressed, out of work, had lost his home, left a suicide note, and had his motorcycle stolen.
scintill76 12y ago
Apparently the two shots caused a stir at the time. The coroner acknowledges it sounds strange, but based on suicide notes, history of depression, suicidal actions (like getting rid of belongings), and apparent precedent of two shots in a suicide, they still believe that was the cause. [0] http://web.archive.org/web/20080507054818/http://dwb.sacbee.com/content/news/story/11772749p-12657577c.html http://web.archive.org/web/20080507054818/http://dwb.sacbee....
- ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
  How many people commit suicide by being able to shoot themselves twice in the head? I'm no doctor or firearms expert, but it seems unlikely.
  - dmix 12y ago
    You're assuming a bullet to the head kills you every time. That is not always the case. For example, not long ago the actor who played George's boss from Seinfeld survived shooting himself in the head and continued to call 911. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seinfeld-actor-shoots-self-in-apparent-suicide-attempt/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seinfeld-actor-shoots-self-in-ap...
    - MaysonL 12y ago
      As someone who survived a couple of bullets to the head over thirty years ago (one penetrating the skull and causing moderate optical cortical brain dameage) I can corroborate this...
  - scintill76 12y ago
    5 out of 138 (3.6%) in one study published in a journal. "Incapacitation by a shot to the head is achieved when the bullet penetrates the cerebrum; however, numerous bullet trajectories, including a shot between the eyes, do not achieve this penetration."[0] I share the suspicion, but it's apparently likely enough, that you can't immediately conclude it wasn't suicide just because there were two shots. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide
    - tomp 12y ago
      Well, the other theory would be that 3.6% of suicides are actually murders disguised as suicides.
  - ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
    Yeah, I agree, its just that Webb wasn't any normal suicide-his exposes on the CIA and their ilk just add a ton of fuel to the fire that you wouldn't have with a run of the mill suicide.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
x0x0 12y ago
Dude, that's nothing. Black people can apparently shoot themselves in a police cruiser in the front of their chests... while their hands are handcuffed behind their backs! Tada! Dead black man in a cop car, but it was a suicide [1]. In a press release issued March 3, the day he died, the Louisiana State Police said Victor White III apparently shot himself in an Iberia Parish police car. According to the police statement, White had his hands cuffed behind his back when he shot himself in the back. But according to the full final report of the Iberia Parish coroner, which was released nearly six months later and obtained exclusively by NBC News, White was shot in the front, not the back. The bullet entered his right chest and exited under his left armpit. White was left-handed, according to family members. According to the report, the forensic pathologist found gunshot residue in the wound, but not the sort of stippling that a close-range shot can sometimes produce. He also found abrasions on White’s face. [1] [1] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/handcuffed-black-youth-shot-himself-death-says-coroner-n185016 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/handcuffed-black-...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

vasilipupkin 12y ago

with a semi-automatic weapon?

ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
A semi-automatic means that when you pull the trigger, a single bullet is fired. Its not a fully auto or anything of the sort. Still doesn't explain how you shoot yourself twice with a weapon that fires one round at a time.
- MichaelGG 12y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539387 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539387 It's rare, of course, but apparently happens sometimes. If the first shot doesn't disable, then more may be required. As far as Gary Webb's case, it sounds like suicide, according to Wikipedia. He was apparently depressed, out of work, had lost his home, left a suicide note, and had his motorcycle stolen.

scintill76 12y ago

Apparently the two shots caused a stir at the time. The coroner acknowledges it sounds strange, but based on suicide notes, history of depression, suicidal actions (like getting rid of belongings), and apparent precedent of two shots in a suicide, they still believe that was the cause. [0] http://web.archive.org/web/20080507054818/http://dwb.sacbee.com/content/news/story/11772749p-12657577c.html http://web.archive.org/web/20080507054818/http://dwb.sacbee....

ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
How many people commit suicide by being able to shoot themselves twice in the head? I'm no doctor or firearms expert, but it seems unlikely.
- dmix 12y ago
  You're assuming a bullet to the head kills you every time. That is not always the case. For example, not long ago the actor who played George's boss from Seinfeld survived shooting himself in the head and continued to call 911. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seinfeld-actor-shoots-self-in-apparent-suicide-attempt/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seinfeld-actor-shoots-self-in-ap...
  - MaysonL 12y ago
    As someone who survived a couple of bullets to the head over thirty years ago (one penetrating the skull and causing moderate optical cortical brain dameage) I can corroborate this...
- scintill76 12y ago
  5 out of 138 (3.6%) in one study published in a journal. "Incapacitation by a shot to the head is achieved when the bullet penetrates the cerebrum; however, numerous bullet trajectories, including a shot between the eyes, do not achieve this penetration."[0] I share the suspicion, but it's apparently likely enough, that you can't immediately conclude it wasn't suicide just because there were two shots. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_gunshot_suicide
  - tomp 12y ago
    Well, the other theory would be that 3.6% of suicides are actually murders disguised as suicides.
- ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
  Yeah, I agree, its just that Webb wasn't any normal suicide-his exposes on the CIA and their ilk just add a ton of fuel to the fire that you wouldn't have with a run of the mill suicide.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

x0x0 12y ago

Dude, that's nothing. Black people can apparently shoot themselves in a police cruiser in the front of their chests... while their hands are handcuffed behind their backs! Tada! Dead black man in a cop car, but it was a suicide [1]. In a press release issued March 3, the day he died, the Louisiana State Police said Victor White III apparently shot himself in an Iberia Parish police car. According to the police statement, White had his hands cuffed behind his back when he shot himself in the back. But according to the full final report of the Iberia Parish coroner, which was released nearly six months later and obtained exclusively by NBC News, White was shot in the front, not the back. The bullet entered his right chest and exited under his left armpit. White was left-handed, according to family members. According to the report, the forensic pathologist found gunshot residue in the wound, but not the sort of stippling that a close-range shot can sometimes produce. He also found abrasions on White’s face. [1] [1] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/handcuffed-black-youth-shot-himself-death-says-coroner-n185016 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/handcuffed-black-...

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]