A 69-year-old woman has been hospitalised in the ICU after receiving an impact in the eye from a pellet/shot fired by an air rifle or shotgun.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Deifontes in the north of the province of Granada. She was at home when the projectile came through the window and entered her brain through the eye. Her state is said to be critical.
The shot appears to have come from a pinewood near the house – the police are investigating the shooting. They have ruled out gender violence and are working with the hypothesis that it was simply an accident when somebody had been using the air rifle nearby and there had been a ricochet.
The police know that the woods that surround the victim’s house are frequented by hunters who practice with shotguns.
Editorial note: the press release first speaks of an ‘escopeta de plomos’ which is an air rifle or a shotgun but later an ‘escopeta de caza,’ which is usually a shotgun. To have had the force to travel that distance and penetrate so far into the victim’s eye, it must have been the latter. Perhaps Dids Hall could shed some light on this?
(News: Deifontes, Montes Orientales, Granada, Andalucia)
Dids: many thanks for the input; just the ticke!
Ok, I have read the article in Spanish now. It is ambiguous I suppose because the case is under investigation. However it could have been either.
For general information, air guns up to 24 Joules are legal on the firearms card you are given when you apply to the Town Hall and Policía Local.
Air guns above 24 Joules need to be registered as a “real gun” on the E licence. They are classified as hunting rifles. These weapons are about equal to a .22 calibre and can kill you.
If you are hit in a soft tissue area like the eye, it can be fatal.
If you have an airgun registered on the E licence, you have to pass a theory and practical exam with the Guardia Civil. To hunt, you need a hunting licence.
You cannot just buy an airgun and go hunting. Varios permissions are required.
I hope this helps.
To be honest, it could be either. Some air rifles are powerful enough to cause this damage. It depends on the distance involved. Supposedly there is a limit for air powered weapons.
I will try to find out more and reply with more information.
Thanks for asking.