Exploring Gunshot Residues: Can LIBS Help Solve Crime Scenes?

Investigating gunshot cases can be a real puzzle. There are often multiple shooters, guns, types of bullets, victims, and places where bullets land. Getting all the clues right is key to solving these cases. Scientists are developing new tools to help with fieldwork and lab analysis. One tool that's become popular is Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). This tool can help figure out where bullets came from and who might have fired them.A recent study looked into how LIBS can help. Researchers wanted to see if they could get useful information from the tiny particles left behind by bullets when they hit surfaces. They shot at different materials like stainless steel, particleboard, and PVC foam board using two types of bullets: jacketed and semi-jacketed. They collected the tiny particles left behind using sticky film and studied them. The study found that LIBS can create a picture of where the particles are. This can help figure out the direction of the shot. Researchers also noticed different amounts and patterns of copper and lead in the particles, depending on the type of bullet. However, the results depended on what the bullet hit. In harder materials like stainless steel, they could tell the difference between the two types of bullets.