Introduction

So far in this unit, you have learned about fingerprints and impression evidence. You know by now that both fingerprints and impressions are important to CSI because of the unique and individual characteristics that can be matched to one suspect.

Firearms and bullets also have individual characteristics that can lead investigators to a specific person. Many crimes involve firearms, and most likely you have read about or watched a crime show that involves investigators finding a match to a gun used in a crime.

How do they match bullets or a suspect's gun to the firearm used in a crime? This lesson will discuss the difference between firearm analysis and ballistics, class and individual characteristics of bullets, and the impression evidence involved with guns and bullets. You will also have a chance to compare an unknown bullet to a bullet fired from a suspect's gun using a comparison microscope.

 

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • Distinguish between class and individual characteristics of firearms
  • Track trajectories of collected evidence
  • Describe responsibilities of various personnel involved in crime scene investigations. Examples: police, detectives, laboratory specialists, medical examiners.

Enduring Understandings

  • Scientific inquiry utilizes the scientific method and inductive reasoning.
  • Firearms and ammunition can be linked to a crime by analyzing unique characteristics.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: Forensic and Criminal Investigations standards: 5, 13, and 14.2

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