Man died after taking a loaded gun into an MRI scan

A man has died after bringing a loaded gun with him inside a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room.

40-year-old lawyer Leandro Mathias de Novaes was carrying a concealed weapon while accompanying his mother to an appointment.

The man died following injuries sustained by bringing a gun inside and MRI machine. Credit: Getty Stock Photos

The Brazilian was allegedly carrying a gun while accompanying his mother to her appointment at Laboratorio Cura that was concealed under his waistband.

According to reports, the man's weapon was pulled out of his waistband by the magnetic forces from the MRI machine, discharging into his stomach.

Following the horrific incident, Lab oratorio Cura released a statement.

“Both the patient and [her] companion were properly instructed regarding the procedures for accessing the examination room and warned about the removal of any and all metallic objects,” according to the Miami Herald.

“The firearm was not mentioned by the companion, who entered the examination room with the object by his decision,” the statement concluded.

De Novaes had a license to carry the weapon, but it is unclear why he chose to carry it with him despite several warnings beforehand.

Prior to his death on 6 February, he regularly posted TikTok videos of pro-gun content, according to the New York Post.

He brought a gun in with him despite several warnings not to bring metal inside the machine. Credit: Getty Stock Photos

But how exactly do MRI machines work?

Well, they create powerful magnetic fields and radio waves that target hydrogen nuclei, also known as protons, in water.

While the protons are subjected to the powerful magnetic field, their axes line up in a force that is about 1000x stronger than a standard fridge magnet.

This is why the gun went off even without the man getting into the machine itself, being in the room was a high enough force to set the gun off.

Science editor Abi Berger further explains the effects of the machine in the BMJ.

"This uniform alignment creates a magnetic vector oriented along the axis of the MRI scanner.

"When additional energy (in the form of a radio wave) is added to the magnetic field, the magnetic vector is deflected. The radio wave frequency....that causes the hydrogen nuclei to resonate is dependent on the element sought (hydrogen in this case) and the strength of the magnetic field." Berger continues.

The 40-year-old passed away after the gun discharged into his stomach in the MRI machine. Credit: Getty Stock Photos

"When the radio frequency source is switched off the magnetic vector returns to its resting state, and this causes a signal (also a radio wave) to be emitted. It is this signal which is used to create the MR images," she concludes.

MRIs are incredibly useful for seeing inside your body, specifically cartilage and muscles, which other methods can't image as effectively.

There have been previous incidents of people being fatally sucked into MRI scanners, though usually when metal oxygen tanks are brought into the room.