`::Point taken, I hadn't considered that distinction thoroughly. It is plausible that a lethal stun gun could be constructed from a very large capacitor charged by a high-voltage DC source. However, the flash units in the ``disposable cameras`` used are much the same as non-disposable cameras: battery to provide source power at low voltage, circuitry to boost the voltage, capacitor (limited physical size) to store the energy for quick release, and strobe to create the light. Cameras powered by 2 3V CR123A used to be common before rechargeables took over, and there is at least one commercial stun gun powered by the same combination. I would expect the instantaneous power between the homemade device and the commercial stun gun to be comparable. Interestingly enough, I couldn't find a source verifying that the Maine incident occurred.    `