Shooting off your gun in the air may not be the wisest way to ring in the new year. Celebratory gunfire on New Year‘s Eve is illegal in many parts of the US and emergency department heads across the country are once again advising citizens against the practice, USA Today reported.
Police list out consequences of celebratory gunfire
Stray bullets caused by celebratory gunfire can lead to death in 32% of cases, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health.
In a video posted on social media earlier this month, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus also warned residents against firing the shots.
“Every year, stray bullets from celebratory gunfire injure or kill innocent people, even children,” he said.
Jorge Valdez-Meza, a celebratory gunfire victim who participated in the public service announcement, said he was once outside enjoying the fireworks coming from a local park and the downtown area when he felt something strike his elbow.
“I had taken a bullet…I could’ve got hit on my heart, my head, any other area, but thankfully, my elbow was the one that took it,” Valdez-Meza said.
What are police doing to curb this?
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz has also requested residents call officials if they see someone firing something into the air during the holiday.
“Do not assume someone else is going to report it,” she said.
In Aurora, Illinois, police are working to curb celebratory gunfire using ShotSpotter Gunfire Data and Alerts. The technology uses sound sensors to alert police to geographic locations of gunfire.
Officers will also be deployed to areas that experienced the highest levels of celebratory gunfire on last year’s New Year’s Eve. Anyone who is found illegally discharging a firearm will be arrested, the Aurora Police Department said in a news release posted to Facebook.
How many cases of celebratory gunfire were reported recently?
In San Antonio, Texas, officials responded to 361 calls regarding celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Day 2023 and 304 on July 4, 2023. In 2024, the number of New Year’s Day calls grew with 338 and 287 on July 4, USA Today reported.
In 2025, a 32-year-old Houston woman was shot in the leg by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Day, and in Miami, a 10-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet on New Year’s Day 2025.
