Closing Cases Using Gunshot Residue

Not every crime scene will have definitive evidence, such as DNA, to link an individual to a crime. In those cases, law enforcement relies on other evidence to build the burden of proof. NIJ graduate research fellow Dr. Shelby Khandasammy developed a tool to analyze organic gunshot residue and distinguish between different firearms calibers and manufacturers. She joins Marie Garcia, office director for the Office of Criminal Justice Systems at NIJ, to talk about her work and experience as a research fellow. Read the transcript.

Reading and resources from NIJ:

• Vibrational Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Organic Gunshot Residue: Detection, Identification and Characterization | Research Overview
• Graduate Research Fellowship Program
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