STOCKTON -- THE FACTS by Martin L. Fackler, MD Madman shoots 35 in Stockton schoolyard; 30 of those hit survive. That would have been the appropriate headline. Why did the media dwell almost exclusively on the five that did not survive? A military type AK-47 rifle was used. Full-metal-jacketed military type bullets were used. That 86% of those children recovered from their wounds comes as no surprise to those who understand this particular bullet's wounding potential . Those familiar with the international laws governing warfare recognize that the military full-metal-jacketed bullet is specifically designed to limit tissue disruption -- to wound rather than to kill. Purportedly mandated for "humanitarian" reasons by the Hague Peace Conference of 1899, this type of bullet actually proves to be more effective for most warfare. It removes not only the one hit from the ranks of the combatants, but also those needed to care for him. Full-metal-jacketed bullets are prohibited for hunting; they are too likely to wound rather than kill. Most full-metal-jacketed AK-47 bullets do not deform significantly on striking the body, unless they strike bone. They characteristically travel point-forward until they penetrate 9 to 10 inches of tissue (if a bullet yaws, turning sideways during its tissue path, it causes increased disruption). This means that most AK-47 shots will pass through the body causing no greater damage that produced by handgun bullets. The limi ted tissue disruption produced by this weapon in the Stockton schoolyard is consistent with well documented data from Vietnam (the Wound Data and Munitions Effectiveness Team collected approximately 700 cases of AK-47 hits), as well as with controlled research studies from various wound ballistics laboratories. To put the 17 January 1989 Stockton incident in context, it must be compared with past shootings: 1. Only four of the eleven shot at the ESL Co. in Sunnyvale, CA, on 16 February 1988, survived. The weapon was a 12 gauge shotgun. 2. Only eleven of the thirty-two shot in the MacDonalds (24 July 1984, San Ysidro, CA) survived. Of the three weapons used, the deadliest weapon by far was a pump-action 12 gauge shotgun. The overwhelming majority of the media coverage of the Stockton shooting has consisted of misstatements, exaggerations and inappropriate comparisons. It is ironic, in this country where firearms have played such a prominent historic role, that the general kn owledge of weapon effects has become so distorted. Cinema and TV accounts of shootings constantly distort and exaggerate bullet effect. When shot, people do not get knocked backwards by the bullet; nor do they become instantly incapacitated, as usually depicted. False expectations resulting from these misleading performances have confused crime scene investigators, law enforcement and military trainers, and our courts of law. Exaggerations of weapon effects in the post Vietnam era even affect ed wound treatment adversely. It is just within the past year, that these errors in military treatment doctrine have been corrected ("Emergency War Surgery - NATO Handbook", Washington, DC, GPO, 1988). Television accounts showing assault rifles exploding watermelons, newspaper descriptions comparing their effects to "a grenade exploding in the abdomen," and describing organs being destroyed and bones pulverized by apparently magic "shock waves" from these "high-velocity" bullets must cause the t hinking individual to ask: If these rifles really cause such effects, how is it possible that thirty children (actually 29 children and one teacher) hit in that Stockton schoolyard survived? The effects of the media frenzy have been to produce at least a four-fold increase in the number of AK-47's in California. This immense demand has drawn stocks of these weapons from all over the USA and abroad. If producers of these weapons had advertised their effects as portrayed by the media, they would be liable to prosecution under our truth in advertising laws. When the same misinformation is presented by the "free press" it is apparently perfectly legal. These are the facts. Why have you not seen them in the reports of this incident? Ask the media. Ask them also about accountability and responsibility. Corrections have been offered, in writing, to the "New York Times", the "San Francisco Examiner", and the "Oakland Tribune", with no response. Phone conversations with media sources m ade clear their preference for the more dramatic misconceptions and exaggerations over verified scientific facts. Everyone with a political axe to grind that can be even remotely related to the Stockton schoolyard shooting is coming out of the woodwork for their share of the free publicity ride on the media-produced emotional frenzy roller- coaster. It's really sad, if not downright disrespectful, to see the deaths of those children used to produce the lynch-mob/three-ring-circus atmosphere ext ant recently in the California State Legislature. The lack of any comprehensive data on gunshot wounds (incidence related to weapon type, bullet type, outcome, etc.) has long been a serious handicap in considering how to approach the gun problem. The situation has now been compounded by unprecedented media zeal. Zeal mixed with misinformation is a prescription for disaster. The exaggerations used to whip up their emotional frenzy have, at the same time, deprived the public of the established facts about weapon effects. Gunshot wounds pose a serious problem. Any sensible solution demands sober consideration of valid data on wound frequency, severity, circumstances, and treatment. Considering the many thousands of shootings in our urban areas each year, competent collection of these data on a national basis could, in a short time, define the problem realistically and objectively. Both sides of the gun control argument should replace confrontation with cooperation by jointly sponso ring a National Gunshot Wound Study. Valid, objective data might then replace uninformed exaggeration and hysteria as a guide to action. The assault rifle fiasco brings to light a far more basic problem: Who is to protect the public from a zealous media whose "cause" takes them beyond bias to falsehood and fabrication? FACTS Martin L. Fackler, MD, FACS 1. Military full-metal-jacketed bullets, such as those used on the Stockton schoolyard, are des igned to limit tissue disruption -- to wound rather than kill. In warfare, this bullet is effective: it removes not only those hit from the ranks of the combatants, but also others needed to care for them. These bullets are prohibited for hunting because they lack killing power. Bullet type, not weapon type, is the critical factor in determining the amount of body tissue disrupted. 2. Most full-metal-jacketed AK-47 bullets do not deform unless they strike bone. They travel point-forward throu gh 9 to 10 inches of tissue before they yaw (turn sideways, and strike more tissue). Thus, these bullets generally cause no greater damage than handgun bullets. The results from the Stockton schoolyard (35 hit, 30 survivors) are consistent with data from Vietnam (700 cases of AK-47 hits were studied in detail), as well as with studies from wound ballistics laboratories. 3. To put the 17 January 1989 Stockton shooting in context: A. Only four of the eleven shot by Richard Farley at the ESL Co. in Sunnyvale, CA, on 16 February 1988, survived. The weapon was a 12 gauge shotgun. B. Only seven of the twenty-one shot by Christian Dornier on 12 July 1989, in Luxiol, France, survived. The weapon was a 12 gauge shotgun. C. Twelve of the twenty shot by Joseph Wesbecker on 14 September 1989, in Louisville, KY, survived. The weapon was an AK-47 rifle (which he had boug ht in May or June 1989). D. Thirty of the thirty-five shot by Patrick Purdy in Stockton survived. The weapon was an AK-47 rifle. SHOTGUN -- 33% survived RIFLE -- 76% survived 4. The overwhelming majority of the Stockton shooting media coverage has consisted of misstatements and exaggerations. Television reports showing assault rifles exploding watermelons, newspaper descriptions comparing their effects to "a grenade exploding in th e abdomen", and describing organs being destroyed and bones pulverized by apparently magic "shock waves" from these "high-velocity" bullets must cause the thinking individual to ask: if these rifles cause such effects, how is it possible that 30 out of the 35 hit on the Stockton schoolyard survived? 5. The result of the media created frenzy, in California, has been more than a four-fold increase the number of AK-47s, AR-15s, etc. despite the tripling of their price. 6. Good sense demands that any action be supported by historical precedent. "No matter how one approaches the figures, one is forced to the rather startling conclusion that the use of firearms in crime was very much less when there were no controls of any sort... Half a century of strict controls on pistols has ended, perversely, with a far greater use of this class of weapon in crime than ever before." Greenwood, C. "firearms Control", London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1972 p.243. N ot only have the many thousands of gun laws in the USA failed to have the desired effect, they have been counterproductive. 7. Near total noncompliance has resulted from "assault rifle" laws passed in California. Recent reports from Denver also indicate massive noncompliance. Our law enforcement judicial system can ill afford the weakening resulting from such wholesale noncompliance. 8. The first step in any rational approach is defining a problem's magnitude and scope. Is the total number of deaths caused by firearms (the often cited 30,000 per year), including suicides (over one-half of the total), felons killed while committing a crime, terrorist hostage takers killed by police, killings in self-defense, hunting accidents, etc. an appropriate focus? Or are we primarily interested in the criminal use of firearms? Whatever the scope decided upon, both sides must confine their figures to it alone in order to avoid the distortions and inconsistencies ("comparing apples and oranges") t hat have been conspicuous in previous "gun" debates. 9. Lack of any comprehensive, reliable data on gunshot wounds (incidence related to weapon type, bullet type, treatment, outcome, etc.) is a serious handicap. Media distortions have created an emotional frenzy and, at the same time, deprived the public of the established facts about bullet effects. Sensible problem solving requires sober consideration of valid data. Competent collection of data from urban shootings could define the problem r ealistically and objectively. Instead of wasting millions of dollars fighting each other, both sides of the gun control dispute should jointly sponsor an ongoing National Gunshot Wound Study. Valid, objective data might then replace uninformed exaggeration, bias, and hysteria as a guide to action. WOUNDING EFFECTS OF THE AK-47 RIFLE USED BY PATRICK PURDY IN THE STOCKTON SCHOOLYARD SHOOTING OF 17 JANUARY 1989 by Fackler, M.L., Malinowski, J. A., Hoxie, S.W., Jason, A. ABSTRACT The limited disruption produced in tissue simulant by the rifle and bullets used in the Stockton schoolyard shooting is entirely consistent with the autopsy reports of the five children who died from their wounds. It is also entirely consistent with well documented battlefield studies and with previous tissue simulant studies from many laboratories It is inconsistent with many exaggerated accounts of "assault rifle" wounding effects described by the media in the aftermath of this incident. This information should be documented for the historical record. However, the critical reason for correcting the misconceptions produced by the media reaction to this incident is to prevent injurious distortion of gunshot wound treatment. KEY WORDS -- wound ballistics, military rifle bullets, assault rifle, ballistic injury, wound treatment. Wounding effects -- AK-47 Rifle -- 2 On 17 January 1989 Patrick Purdy used a semi-automatic AK-47 Chines e military type rifle (Norinco, serial #MS010963) to fire 104 shots into a schoolyard filled with children in Stockton, California. All of the bullets that he fired were 124 grain full-metal-jacketed military type loaded in 7.62 X 39 mm cartridges, made by the Federal Cartridge Company, Anoka, Minnesota (documented in the Stockton Criminalistics Laboratory by identification of the empty cartridge cases recovered from the crime scene). Thirty-five of the individuals in the school yard were injured by Purdy's bullets. Thirty of the thirty-five wounded were treated in eight hospitals and survived their wounds. Five died on the schoolyard. The media seized on the Stockton incident with sensationalistic zeal. Distortions, exaggerations and uninformed assumptions were presented as fact. Corrections of factual errors were, in most cases, ignored. The public and medical personnel called upon to treat shooting victims have consequently been deprived of the established facts about the true effects of "assault rifles". These failings have made this paper necessary. For any chance of a rational solution, the gunshot wound problem must be approached with verified facts and competently collected data. Wounding effects -- AK-47 Rifle --3 METHODS Eight shots were fired from a distance of 3 meters into 25X25X50 cm blocks of 10% ordnance gelatin placed end to end at 4 degrees C gelatin tempera ture. This gelatin has been shown to reproduce the projectile deformation and penetration depth seen in living animal muscle (1). Sufficient gelatin blocks were placed end-to-end to capture the entire projectile path. The rifle was fired from a fixed rest. Five shots were fired using the Federal 124 grain full-metal-jacketed ammunition found in Purdy's possession. This was identical to the ammunition shot on the Stockton schoolyard. One shot each was also fired using a Winchest er-Western full-metal-jacketed bullet, a full-metal-jacketed bullet of Chinese manufacture (Norinco), and a Winchester-Western 123 grain soft-point bullet. All of these bullet types were found in Purdy's possession. Velocity was recorded and tissue disruption measured as described in the wound profile methodology (1). Autopsy reports on the five children who died of their wounds were reviewed, and hospitals were the survivors were treated were contacted for follow-up informa tion. Wounding effects -- AK-47 -- 4 RESULTS Numerical results of the shots are listed in Table 1. Figure one shows the five Federal full-metal-jacketed bullets recovered from the gelatin blocks. The last bullet on the right is listed as number five in Table 1. It passed out the side of the gelatin block (at 66 cm penetration depth) and struck the wall of the shooting range. These Federal bullets have a copper jacket and a lead co re; they all deformed slightly in the gelatin (bases flattened to approximately 5 X 9.5 mm -- see Fig. 1). The bases of these Federal full-metal-jacketed bullets were unusual; they had a conical depression about 4 mm deep in the lead core. A similar depression has been seen in only one bullet previously shot in our laboratory -- the 7.62 X 54 R, used in Russian and Chinese light machine guns and sniper rifles. The Winchester-Western full-metal-jacketed bullet (No. 7, Table 1) per formed identically to the Federal bullets. The Norinco full-metal- jacketed bullet did not deform at all, as expected, because its largely steel core is much more resistant to compression than lead, as shown second from the left in Figure two. The maximum temporary cavity diameters estimated from the radial cracks in the gelatin (1) were all between 14 and 16 cm in diameter, and their location was at a penetration depth 6 - 12 cm deep to the location where the bullet yaw began (see Fig. 3). Wounding effects -- AK-47 Rifle -- 5 The Winchester-Western soft-point bullet deformed by flattening its tip and expanding its diameter to 15 X 16.5 mm. It also lost 22 percent of its weight through bullet fragmentation (see lower right, Figure two), and its temporary cavity began after only a few cm of penetration, where bullet expansion occurred. Summary of autopsy findings: 1. In each child the bullet path passed through a vital structure. In one case it was the head, another the heart, another the liver, another the lungs, and the last, the aorta and spinal cord. 2. On two occasions a second shot was reported to have passed through a hand, and in one case, through a foot. In one of the hand perforations, it is unequivocal that it was a second shot rather than the same shot perforating two body parts. In this case, the bullet had passed through the sternum, the heart, and then through a vertebral body; the bullet was fou nd just under the skin of the back. This was the only bullet retained in the body on any of the autopsies. 3. The weights of the children were 20, 18, 26, 19, and 25 kg. 4. The largest tissue disruption in any of the organs was approximately 3.81 cm, in the right lobe of the liver. 5. There was no damage to any organ not hit directly by a bullet. Wounding effects -- AK-47 Rifle -- 6 DISCUSSION All of the full-metal-jacketed bullet s followed the basic pattern described previously (2) and shown in the wound profile (Fig. 3). The Federal full- metal-jacketed bullets used by Purdy are of flat base design and shorter in length than the military rounds (compare Figs 1 and 2). Their mean penetration distance before significant yaw (13.7 cm) is considerably shorter than that of the Ak-47 military round as shown on the wound profile (25 cm) and that seen in shot number 7 (20 cm). That 86% of the wounded survived is not surprising to those who are familiar with the relatively mild wounding characteristics of the Ak-47 military round (3). The Russian/Chinese military full-metal-jacketed AK-47 bullets, with steel cores, do not deform on striking the body, unless they hit bone. These AK-47 bullets characteristically travel point-forward until they penetrate 25 cm of tissue. Only when this type bullet yaws, turning sideways during its tissue path, does it cause significantly increased disruption (Fig. 3). Therefore, many AK-47 shots will pass through the body causing no greater damage than that produced by nonexpanding handgun bullets. The limited tissue disruption produced by this weapon in the Stockton schoolyard is consistent with well documented data from Vietnam (the Wound Data and Munitions Effectiveness Team collected approximately 700 cases of Ak-47 hits), as well as with controlled Wounding effects -- AK-47 Rifle -- 7 research studies from wound ballistics labora tories (2-4). Our study shows the Federal full-metal-jacketed bullets used by Purdy yaw (increase the angle between the bullet long axis and the bullet path) at a shallower penetration depth than the standard Russian/Chinese military ammunition. Ordinarily, this action should make these bullets more disruptive. However, the children shot were small (18-26 kg), obviously increasing the chances for a bullet to pass through the body before yawing to a significant degree, and un doubtedly contributing to the high survival rate. The slight flattening seen in the lead-core Federal bullets does not add significantly to the wound size. The magnitude of the tissue disruption reported from the fatal shots inflicted by the AK-47 bullets fired by Purdy was, in fact, no greater than that produced by many common handgun bullets. Much of the media coverage generated by the Stockton shooting has contained misstatements and exaggerations. The myth of "shock waves" resounding from these "high velocity" bullets "pulverizing bones and exploding organs" (even if they were not hit by the bullet) "like a bomb" going off in the body was repeated by the media, in certain cases even after they were furnished solid evidence disproving these absurdities (5). None of the autopsies showed damage beyond the projectile path. One "expert" was quoted as stating that the death rate from "assault weapons ... approaches 50 percent" (6). Another, reporting on the effects of "high speed" bullets, stated "Most of those hit in an Wounding effects -- AK-47 -- 8 extremity will end up with amputations. If you're hit in the trunk, it becomes a lethal injury ..." (7). On the Stockton schoolyard, the death rate was 14 percent and none died later; none required extremity amputation. Extensive war wound experience (Wound Data and Munitions Effectiveness Team information on 1400 cases of rifle wounds from the Vietnam conflict) and laboratory studies with the AK-47 are consistent with the Stockton injuries (2-4). The first author of this paper has treated many nonlethal trunk wounds from a variety of "assault rifles". In his experience, extremity wounds from these weapons requiring amputation are extremely rare. The "assault rifle" shoots a bullet that is intermediate in power between the regular infantry rifle and a handgun. Trunk wounds are lethal when they hit vital structures, as supported by the autopsy findings from Stockton. Pertinent to the material reviewed for this paper, the Chief of Police of the City of San Jose, Joseph D. McNamara, stated, "One bullet hitting a child in Stockton, took out his entire stomach." (8). Our review of the autopsy reports shows that only one of the children killed by Mr. Purdy in the Stockton schoolyard had damage to the stomach. It states, "STOMACH: There is a perforating wound of the antrum due to passage of the bullet. The stomach is otherwise normal . There is no spillage of gastric contents." An unsuspecting public and medical community might accept Chief McNamara's highly exaggerated description as fact. Wounding effect -- AK-47 Rifle -- 9 The exaggerated assault rifle effects presented by the media have had the pernicious effect of causing an unprecedented demand for "assault rifles". Estimates from sales figures indicate that the number of these weapons in California has greatly increased since the Stockton shooting