The shotgun — in the backseat of the pickup, along with Charlie — fired through Gilligan’s front driver’s seat. The bullet went through Gilligan’s back, breaking a few ribs and shattering his collar bone, and caused other injuries, according to the Las Cruces newspaper.

So, was he shot by a shotgun or a bullet? Shotguns don't shoot bullets. They shoot pellets. Rifles shoot bullets. Most writers refer to the product of a discharged shotgun as a "blast".