If a non-shooter then comes into contact with any of these surfaces, GSR may transfer to his/her hands, suggesting the non-shooter discharged the firearm. For instance, in a suicide, GSR can contaminate the suicide victim's clothing and household items. The concept of GSR transfer is important to consider when investigating crime scenes involving a shooting because the actual scenario could be entirely different than what the GSR results indicate. Moreover, touching other surfaces, such as tabletops, clothing, or automobile interiors that are contaminated with GSR can also lead to transfer of GSR to a non-shooter's hands. A non-shooter who handles a firearm can transfer GSR to his/her hands. GSR generated from a firearm discharge can be deposited onto objects in close range, which include the firearm itself. All three steering wheels tested positive for GSR, even when the sampling was conducted 1-4 days after the examiners had last discharged a firearm. One study demonstrated this by testing the steering wheels in the vehicles of three firearms examiners. Once GSR is deposited onto the hands of a shooter, the particles can then transfer from one area of the hand to another (which could change the scenario of a left handed shooter to a right-handed shooter), or even to items handled by the shooter. However, other mechanisms can account for the presence of GSR on someone's hands, such as transfer. Of course, GSR can be found on an individual's hands if he/she actually discharged a firearm. The presence of GSR on an individual's hands is not proof that a person actually discharged a firearm. The Trace evidence section at the General Headquarters Lab in Jefferson City analyzes the adhesive stubs for GSR using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), issues reports on the findings, and testifies in court. To determine if GSR could be present, GSR kits are collected by touching unique adhesive stubs to the hands of individuals suspected of firing a weapon. This residue can land on nearby surfaces and objects, including the hands of the shooter. When the firearm is discharged, these particles are ejected from the cylinder gaps, ejector ports, and the end of the barrel, resulting in a plume of residue in the air around the gun. These GSR particles are the residue that is produced from the components present in the primer of a cartridge. GSR testing involves identifying the presence of microscopic particles consisting of lead, barium, and antimony. While GSR testing can provide important information for your case, there are limitations in what the results indicate in a shooting incident. GSR kits are designed to collect these particles, and the Trace evidence section of the lab has the equipment and expertise to analyze these kits. GSR is typically expelled from a firearm upon discharge and can land on individuals in close range of the firearm. The lab may be able to assist with such investigations through the use of gunshot residue (GSR) analysis. When an investigator processes and reconstructs a crime scene where shots were fired, determining who may have shot the firearm may be critical to the case. In this photo, Kurt Cobain's arm shows his medical bracelet from a drug rehab center in LA that he checked out of days before returning to Seattle, where the Seattle Police Department says, he committed suicide.A 'Hands On' Approach to Understanding Gunshot Residue More images were also released in March of 2016, depicting the shotgun police say Cobain used to kill himself.

According to police, this examination of the evidence confirmed Cobain's death was a suicide. During this process, the department released a cache of never-before-seen photos from the 1994 death scene. The Seattle Police Department, which ran the case, actually did re-examine the evidence in the music star's death investigation back in 2014. The FBI concluded, 'We are unable to identify any violation of federal law within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI,' adding that, 'Most homicide/death investigations generally fall within the jurisdiction of state and local authorities.' In May 2021, more than 27 years after the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the FBI released a 10-page file that included letters from fans urging the agency to investigate Cobain's death as a possible homicide.

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