On a death certificate there is a Part 1 line for immediate cause of death and under that is "Due to as a consequence of" line. There is also a Part 2 section "Significant conditions contributing to death but not related to cause given in Part 1."

Most certainly the shooting did contribute to his untimely death, but I believe the determination by the coroner was made to be sure that maximum benefits could be awarded to the family.

Another example I know of was a war veteran that committed suicide. The conditions that contributed to his actions was his chronic pain and multiple surgeries he endured from injuries he received by serving during war. Without the second line, his widow would not have received monthly benefits.