| ◄ | Ceiling Jars | Shotgun Chair | Electric Bathtub | ► |
| “ | Killing is distasteful! | ” |
— John reprimanding Hoffman about Seth Baxter's Murder[src]
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The Shotgun Chair is a trap from the Saw franchise, appearing in Saw V.
Design and Function
The victim of this trap was strapped to the armrests of a chair via leather restrains. Positioned in front of the person was a shotgun in an upright position which aimed at the victim's head. The shotgun was held in position by another leather restrain bound around the victim's chest. Additionally, the trigger was connected to the arm restrains by a thin cord, which would be pulled tight once the victim tried to move his arms too much. (Saw V)
History
Mark Hoffman's Test
Early on in the series of murders committed by John Kramer, better known as the Jigsaw Killer, Mark Hoffman, one of the detectives involved in the case, imitated John's modus operandi to take revenge on Seth Baxter, the ex-boyfriend and murderer of his sister, Angelina Acomb. Even though Seth had been sentenced to life in prison, he was released after five years due to a technicality. One month later, Hoffman abducted him and put him in an inescapable trap, which inevitably killed Seth. After that, Hoffman cut a jigsaw piece from his skin in order to make the murder appear to be another one of Jigsaw's tests.
However, John was watching Hoffman during his investigation on the Jigsaw Case and therefore knew that it was him who murdered Seth Baxter. John gathered evidence for Hoffman's guilt and sent him an anonymous message to his office at the police station, stating that he knew about his secret. When Hoffman, alerted by the message, returned home, he was already expected by John, who was waiting for him in an elevator. Together, they rode up, when Hoffman looked at the lift buttons and noticed that only his own floor was selected. At this moment, he realized that the other man seemed to hold something in his hand and asked him what floor he was going to while slowly reaching for his gun. However, before he could react, John suddenly attacked him and injected him with an anaesthetic, causing him to pass out. After that, he took him to his workshop, where he strapped him onto a chair with a shotgun aiming at his head. As the detective woke up, John showed him a newspaper article about the murder of Seth, labeling it as a distasteful act of imitation and thereby revealing himself to be the actual Jigsaw Killer. Hoffman tried to free himself but stopped when John placed a mirror in front of him, showing him that his arm restraints were connected to the shotgun's trigger by a wire. They engaged in a discussion, during which John confronted him with Angelina's death, his drinking problem and his revenge on Seth. Hoffman claimed that Seth hadn't deserved a chance to survive, which angered John as he saw killing as something vicious and distasteful, claiming that he himself gave all of his victims a chance. When he put his finger on the trigger, Hoffman prepared to die.
However, when John pulled the trigger, he realized that the shotgun wasn't loaded. Moments later, John ultimately freed him from his restraints and offered him a choice: Hoffman could either become his apprentice and help him setting up his future games or John would publish the evidence against him and send it to the police. Hoffman said that he could also kill him as no one would believe John more than him. John however remained calm and asked him if he really wanted to ruin his own life for the legal system that had released Seth Baxter from prison. After a short argument, Hoffman finally agreed to John's offer. (Saw V)
Trivia
- Moments after John frees Hoffman from the chair, it is shown that a cartridge is in the left barrel of the shotgun. Traditional double-barreled shotguns have the left barrel connected to the front trigger and the right barrel connected to the back trigger. Therefore the shotgun should have actually shot Hoffman when John pulled the trigger earlier in the same scene.