Wounding effects of the AK-47 rifle used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting of January 17, 1989

The limited disruption produced in tissue simulant by the rifle and bullets used in the Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting is entirely consistent with the autopsy reports on the five children who died of their wounds. It is also entirely consistent with well-documented battlefield studies and with previous tissue-simulant studies from many laboratories. It is inconsistent with many exaggerated accounts of assault-rifle wounding effects described by the media in the aftermath of this incident. This information should be documented for the historical record. However, the critical reason for correcting the misconceptions produced by media reaction to this incident is to prevent inappropriate gunshot-wound treatment.