Shotgun Wads

What They Are, What They Do, How Far They Fly, and What They Can Reveal About What Happened

The suspect said he fired his gun straight up in the air on the night officers surrounded his home. The prosecutor said the suspect fired in the direction of a police officer, striking and killing him. Did the suspect shoot the officer, or did another police officer shoot him? Figuring out who shot the officer requires an investigation of shotgun wads. What are shotgun wads? What can they tell us? Steven Howard explains.