# Precision and accuracy of acoustic gunshot location in an urban environment

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.07377 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.07377/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 16 Aug 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Hyperdimensional Intelligent Sensing for Efficient Real-Time Audio Processing on Extreme Edge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.10718/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The muzzle blast caused by the discharge of a firearm generates a loud, impulsive sound that propagates away from the shooter in all directions. The location of the source can be computed from time-of-arrival measurements of the muzzle blast on multiple acoustic sensors at known locations, a technique known as multilateration. The multilateration problem is considerably simplified by assuming straight-line propagation in a homogeneous medium, a model for which there are multiple published solutions. Live-fire tests of the ShotSpotter gunshot location system in Pittsburgh, PA were analyzed off-line under several algorithms and geometric constraints to evaluate the accuracy of acoustic multilateration in a forensic context. Best results were obtained using the algorithm due to Mathias, Leonari and Galati under a two-dimensional geometric constraint. Multilateration on random subsets of the participating sensor array show that 96% of shots can be located to an accuracy of 15 m or better when six or more sensors participate in the solution.