# If Person A shoots Person B and Person B dies from an infection from this bullet wound, then .......

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 31, 2015, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246 "2015-10-31T07:35:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246/21 "2015-11-03T22:01:27Z")

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Likewise David Gumby was shot in the back by Charles Whitman from the top of the UT library in 1966; he died in 2001 and was ruled a “homicide”.

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**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246/22 "2015-11-03T23:22:26Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> Moderator ping-pong?

face it - no one wants this baby, but they can’t find an amicable way of getting rid of it.

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**Author:** ![Futurist110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@Futurist110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futurist110)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246/23 "2015-11-08T03:12:42Z")

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> [@Iggy](#):
>
> And on the other hand, if there is an [intervening act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causation_%28law%29#Intervening_cause) that is the more proximate cause of death then the shooter may not be held liable for murder/manslaughter.
> 
> Suppose Person A shoots Person B. Person B is stabilized in the hospital and is scheduled for a surgery as a part of his treatment. During the surgery the doctor cuts an artery resulting in severe blood loss, an act of serious malpractice, resulting in Person B having insufficient oxygen flow to his brain. Person B dies as a result. Person A would not be help liable for the death even though Person B would not have been in the hospital save for the shooting.

Yes, this certainly makes sense. However, there is **no** intervening act if a doctor was not negligent, correct?

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-person-a-shoots-person-b-and-person-b-dies-from-an-infection-from-this-bullet-wound-then/736246/24 "2015-11-08T03:53:57Z")

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There’s no superseding intervening cause even if the physician _was_ negligent. See post 20.

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