The ultimate cause of all death is anoxia to the brain. Brain doesn't get oxygen you die- from direct penetrating injury or from lack of blood (heart attack/stroke in humans; broken neck -> diaphragm no workie), etc.
In animals if you want to stop an animal in its tracks- you knock out the CNS ie brain and spinal cord.
The CNS and blood vessels are also susceptible to indirect penetrating injury (shock).
CNS- we've all had direct blows and felt numbness in our limbs, concussions, etc. These can also get injured from shock, these get edematous (swollen) from the insult and then stop working.
Similarly blood vessels (the smaller) get injured through shock (just read a thread on bullet types and my bullet does less meat damage BS). You've heard of people dying and getting strokes from a chiropractor (though a different mechanism of injury) it is still indirect non penetrating trauma. The neck is snapped, the inside wall of the blood vessel detaches and occludes the carotid artery -> no blood to brain (no O2) stroke.
Nothing kills like direct penetrating trauma. However, indirect trauma through "shock" can cause just as devastating injury when appropriately located.
Location, location, location
