Category
Poster - Basic
Description
Since the late 1970s, forensic scientists have been using scanning electron microscopy to analyze gunshot residue particles to determine whether an individual or object was in the vicinity of a shooting. GSR particles are from the primer of a gun, and when the gun is fired that primer will also come out of the gun and land on the shooter’s hand and objects around them. When an object or a person is swabbed and tested for GSR, forensic scientists are looking for three elements: lead, barium, and antimony. If these elements are found, the object or person is considered positive for GSR and was therefore in the vicinity of a shooting. While lead, barium, and antimony have been the standard for GSR analysis for years, gun primers have recently started to move away from using these heavy metals. As an attempt to expand the library of what is considered a positive GSR test, we began using Company A’s two hand-swab Gun Shot Residue kits. After a series of hand swab collections with different caliber guns and SEM analysis, that gave us no results for any kind of GSR, we began to further investigate the possibility of our swab kits being defective. The kits ultimately ended up being determined to be defective, which holds serious weight in the justice system. If GSR kits are yielding false negatives, that means criminals could be getting away with horrific crimes. Further testing should be done on Company A’s GSR kits to show if they are all defective or if the research team had received a bad batch. Furthermore, research should be done to determine a better, more fool-proof way to detect GSR on a suspect’s hands.
GSR Analysis: The Importance of Viable Swab Kits
Poster - Basic
Since the late 1970s, forensic scientists have been using scanning electron microscopy to analyze gunshot residue particles to determine whether an individual or object was in the vicinity of a shooting. GSR particles are from the primer of a gun, and when the gun is fired that primer will also come out of the gun and land on the shooter’s hand and objects around them. When an object or a person is swabbed and tested for GSR, forensic scientists are looking for three elements: lead, barium, and antimony. If these elements are found, the object or person is considered positive for GSR and was therefore in the vicinity of a shooting. While lead, barium, and antimony have been the standard for GSR analysis for years, gun primers have recently started to move away from using these heavy metals. As an attempt to expand the library of what is considered a positive GSR test, we began using Company A’s two hand-swab Gun Shot Residue kits. After a series of hand swab collections with different caliber guns and SEM analysis, that gave us no results for any kind of GSR, we began to further investigate the possibility of our swab kits being defective. The kits ultimately ended up being determined to be defective, which holds serious weight in the justice system. If GSR kits are yielding false negatives, that means criminals could be getting away with horrific crimes. Further testing should be done on Company A’s GSR kits to show if they are all defective or if the research team had received a bad batch. Furthermore, research should be done to determine a better, more fool-proof way to detect GSR on a suspect’s hands.
Comments
Undergraduate