Discipline Overview:
Investigators have utilized shooting reconstruction for over a century, with one of the earliest references dating back to Hans Gross's 1906 publication, Criminal Investigation: A Practical Handbook for Magistrates, Police Officers, and Lawyers. In the publication, Gross depicts the simplest of trajectory concepts: a bullet traveling through a window and striking a second location inside the structure. A line is then extended between those two points and farther out from the structure, depicting the overall flight path of the projectile and the potential shooter's location.
Since that time, Shooting Reconstruction and all of its technological advances have come a long way. But Gross’s simple, foundational concept is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. From analog devices to digital measuring methods and laser scanner technology, the field of Shooting Reconstruction continues to evolve, but the basic concepts and foundational principles remain the same. These concepts have been continuously and rigorously tested by shooting reconstructionists over the years, and each time, they have been proven to be a reliable and reproducible method of reconstructing events at the crime scene.
Shooting Reconstruction Subcommittee Chair
Casson Reynolds
Committee Members
Return to Forensic Disciplines
Qualifications:
The qualifications to become an expert in shooting reconstruction are currently being evaluated and proposed. One aspect worth noting is the effort to ensure that any conclusions are supported by following a scientific method and an unbiased analysis.
Standards:
- OSAC 2025-N-0003 Standard Terminology for Shooting Reconstruction
- OSAC 2023-N-0003 Standard for Diagramming Scenes
- OSAC 2022-S-0036 Standard Method for the Chemical Testing of Suspected Projectile Impacts for Copper and Lead
- OSAC 2021-N-0019 Standard Practice for the Documentation and Processing of Shooting Scenes
- ANSI/ASB Standard 159-24 Standard for Scene Investigation and Reconstruction - Foundational Principles, 2024, 1st Ed.
Resources:
Texts:
- Practical Analysis and Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents, Second Edition, Edward E. Hueske, 2021, CRC Press
- Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Third Edition, Michael G. Haag and Lucien C. Haag, 2021, Academic Press