In the following sequence of questions that determine how an incident occurred, which order is correct?

• A. What, when, where, weapons, who, how
• B. Where, what, when, weapons, who, how
• C. Weapons, where, what, when, who, how
• D. How, who, where, when, weapons, what

Answer: (B)

When you’re figuring out how an incident occurred, you want to build the understanding from the scene outward. Starting with where the incident happened fixes the physical context and any scene-specific constraints, entry points, or hazards. Then you identify what occurred to define the nature of the event itself. Pinning down when it happened places everything on a timeline and helps sort the sequence of actions. Considering any weapons involved clarifies safety needs and points to relevant evidence. Next, establishing who was involved links actions to people and potential motives. Finally, you integrate all of that to explain how the incident unfolded. Jumping ahead to how, or focusing on who or weapons before understanding the scene and the events, can lead to misinterpretation or incomplete reconstruction.