Scenario
Someone shouts, “Shots fired!” But who fired? And from where? To answer these questions, the investigators begin by identifying the trajectory or path of the bullet.
To track the bullet’s trajectory, a line is drawn connecting two points along the bullet’s known path. These two points could be an entry wound (A) and exit wound (B) on a victim (Figure 1) or a bullet hole in a car window and an entry wound on someone inside the car (Figure 2).
The angle of elevation is the angle created by the bullet’s trajectory and the horizon. To determine the angle of elevation, draw a horizontal line (parallel to the horizon) that intersects the trajectory, and measure the angle formed by these two lines.