Celebratory gunfire (also called aerial firing or happy fire) is the shooting of a firearm into the air in celebration. It is culturally accepted in parts of the Balkans, the Middle East, the Central Asian region of Afghanistan, the South Asian regions of Pakistan and Northern India. In regions such as Puerto Rico and other areas of the United States it is practiced illegally, especially on holidays like New Year's Eve.
Common occasions for celebratory gunfire include New Year's Day as well as the religious holidays Christmas and Eid. The practice may result in random death and injury from stray bullets. Property damage is sometimes another result of celebratory gunfire; shattered windows and damaged roofs are often found after such celebrations.
Falling-bullet injuries
Bullets fired into the air usually fall back with terminal velocities much lower than their muzzle velocity when they leave the barrel of a firearm. Nevertheless, people can be injured, sometimes fatally, when bullets discharged into the air fall back down to the ground. Bullets fired at angles less than vertical are more dangerous, as the bullet maintains its angular ballistic trajectory, is far less likely to engage in tumbling motion, and so travels at speeds much higher than a bullet in free fall.
News4JAX reporter Ashley Harding joins us with more on the dangers and laws against celebratory gunfire.
published: 31 Dec 2021
2 local examples show why celebratory gunfire is dangerous and illegal
As fireworks fill up the sky on July 4th, police advise leaving guns out of the celebration. Celebratory gunfire in Florida is illegal and dangerous. News4JAX spoke with a man in January after bullets came flying into his family’s home on New Year’s Eve.
published: 03 Jul 2022
Gunfire in Memphis apartment complex
published: 03 Jan 2019
Warning about celebratory gunfire
published: 31 Dec 2020
Consequences of celebratory gunfire: Both illegal and deadly
Every New Year's holiday, we cover stories of stray bullets hitting property or people. Celebratory gunfire is illegal and can be deadly — bullets shot senselessly into the sky must land somewhere and often they can end up a few miles away in someone's yard or home or worse, injuring or killing someone.
Eleven years ago, Diego Duran, who was 12 years old at the time, was standing in his yard in Ruskin, Florida, with his family watching fireworks just after midnight on Jan. 1.
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published: 31 Dec 2022
Deadly consequences for celebratory gunfire
published: 05 Jul 2022
How possible celebratory gunfire killing could be solved
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday afternoon that they are prioritizing reducing celebratory gunfire, saying it injures innocent people.
The declaration was made as deputies continued to investigate the shooting death of a beloved nurse Philippa Ashford, who may have been hit by celebratory gunfire early New Year's Day.
READ MORE: https://abc13.com/how-atf-database-could-put-fingerprint-on-matriarchs-killing/5809193/
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published: 03 Jan 2020
Celebratory gunfire in Kabul as US military withdraws | AFP
The sound of celebratory gunfire is heard across Kabul and fireworks can be seen in the sky early Tuesday after the Pentagon and Taliban separately confirmed that the last US troops had left Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war.
Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/UBbQ
N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only
published: 30 Aug 2021
Celebratory gunfire fall out
What goes up must come down, consequences of celebratory gunfire.
published: 04 Jul 2019
Watch: Celebratory Gunfire, Note Showering at Wedding in Gujarat
As fireworks fill up the sky on July 4th, police advise leaving guns out of the celebration. Celebratory gunfire in Florida is illegal and dangerous. News4JAX ...
As fireworks fill up the sky on July 4th, police advise leaving guns out of the celebration. Celebratory gunfire in Florida is illegal and dangerous. News4JAX spoke with a man in January after bullets came flying into his family’s home on New Year’s Eve.
As fireworks fill up the sky on July 4th, police advise leaving guns out of the celebration. Celebratory gunfire in Florida is illegal and dangerous. News4JAX spoke with a man in January after bullets came flying into his family’s home on New Year’s Eve.
Every New Year's holiday, we cover stories of stray bullets hitting property or people. Celebratory gunfire is illegal and can be deadly — bullets shot senseles...
Every New Year's holiday, we cover stories of stray bullets hitting property or people. Celebratory gunfire is illegal and can be deadly — bullets shot senselessly into the sky must land somewhere and often they can end up a few miles away in someone's yard or home or worse, injuring or killing someone.
Eleven years ago, Diego Duran, who was 12 years old at the time, was standing in his yard in Ruskin, Florida, with his family watching fireworks just after midnight on Jan. 1.
For more: https://bit.ly/3WPMrE0
►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube
►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/
►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay
Every New Year's holiday, we cover stories of stray bullets hitting property or people. Celebratory gunfire is illegal and can be deadly — bullets shot senselessly into the sky must land somewhere and often they can end up a few miles away in someone's yard or home or worse, injuring or killing someone.
Eleven years ago, Diego Duran, who was 12 years old at the time, was standing in his yard in Ruskin, Florida, with his family watching fireworks just after midnight on Jan. 1.
For more: https://bit.ly/3WPMrE0
►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube
►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/
►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday afternoon that they are prioritizing reducing celebratory gunfire, saying it injures innocent people.
The de...
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday afternoon that they are prioritizing reducing celebratory gunfire, saying it injures innocent people.
The declaration was made as deputies continued to investigate the shooting death of a beloved nurse Philippa Ashford, who may have been hit by celebratory gunfire early New Year's Day.
READ MORE: https://abc13.com/how-atf-database-could-put-fingerprint-on-matriarchs-killing/5809193/
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel.
Follow us for more great content!
Facebook: https://abc13.co/2HbTdO3
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Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday afternoon that they are prioritizing reducing celebratory gunfire, saying it injures innocent people.
The declaration was made as deputies continued to investigate the shooting death of a beloved nurse Philippa Ashford, who may have been hit by celebratory gunfire early New Year's Day.
READ MORE: https://abc13.com/how-atf-database-could-put-fingerprint-on-matriarchs-killing/5809193/
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel.
Follow us for more great content!
Facebook: https://abc13.co/2HbTdO3
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The sound of celebratory gunfire is heard across Kabul and fireworks can be seen in the sky early Tuesday after the Pentagon and Taliban separately confirmed th...
The sound of celebratory gunfire is heard across Kabul and fireworks can be seen in the sky early Tuesday after the Pentagon and Taliban separately confirmed that the last US troops had left Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war.
Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/UBbQ
N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only
The sound of celebratory gunfire is heard across Kabul and fireworks can be seen in the sky early Tuesday after the Pentagon and Taliban separately confirmed that the last US troops had left Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war.
Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/UBbQ
N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only
As fireworks fill up the sky on July 4th, police advise leaving guns out of the celebration. Celebratory gunfire in Florida is illegal and dangerous. News4JAX spoke with a man in January after bullets came flying into his family’s home on New Year’s Eve.
Every New Year's holiday, we cover stories of stray bullets hitting property or people. Celebratory gunfire is illegal and can be deadly — bullets shot senselessly into the sky must land somewhere and often they can end up a few miles away in someone's yard or home or worse, injuring or killing someone.
Eleven years ago, Diego Duran, who was 12 years old at the time, was standing in his yard in Ruskin, Florida, with his family watching fireworks just after midnight on Jan. 1.
For more: https://bit.ly/3WPMrE0
►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube
►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/
►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Thursday afternoon that they are prioritizing reducing celebratory gunfire, saying it injures innocent people.
The declaration was made as deputies continued to investigate the shooting death of a beloved nurse Philippa Ashford, who may have been hit by celebratory gunfire early New Year's Day.
READ MORE: https://abc13.com/how-atf-database-could-put-fingerprint-on-matriarchs-killing/5809193/
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel.
Follow us for more great content!
Facebook: https://abc13.co/2HbTdO3
Twitter: https://abc13.co/2HzMssV
Instagram: https://abc13.co/2Hawi9U
The sound of celebratory gunfire is heard across Kabul and fireworks can be seen in the sky early Tuesday after the Pentagon and Taliban separately confirmed that the last US troops had left Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war.
Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/UBbQ
N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only
Celebratory gunfire (also called aerial firing or happy fire) is the shooting of a firearm into the air in celebration. It is culturally accepted in parts of the Balkans, the Middle East, the Central Asian region of Afghanistan, the South Asian regions of Pakistan and Northern India. In regions such as Puerto Rico and other areas of the United States it is practiced illegally, especially on holidays like New Year's Eve.
Common occasions for celebratory gunfire include New Year's Day as well as the religious holidays Christmas and Eid. The practice may result in random death and injury from stray bullets. Property damage is sometimes another result of celebratory gunfire; shattered windows and damaged roofs are often found after such celebrations.
Falling-bullet injuries
Bullets fired into the air usually fall back with terminal velocities much lower than their muzzle velocity when they leave the barrel of a firearm. Nevertheless, people can be injured, sometimes fatally, when bullets discharged into the air fall back down to the ground. Bullets fired at angles less than vertical are more dangerous, as the bullet maintains its angular ballistic trajectory, is far less likely to engage in tumbling motion, and so travels at speeds much higher than a bullet in free fall.
Take your time and breathe in. Before the cost of existence. Consumes the light of humanity. Kill the depths of your rage. Take your time and breathe in. Calibrate your visions. Dial in repercussions. Celebrate your taste for lead. Open your eyes, our world, the fear grips you. Complacent or motivated you lust for the fight. Psyched to form your lies of your hatred. Looking for life of what you'd like to be. Spiraling down. Hopeless. Celebrate with gunfire.
— Facebook@DIGOpsLahorePolice. LAHORE ... In compliance with DIG Faisal Kamran’s orders, supporters of all groups were directed to avoid altercations and celebratory gunfire ... .
... develop an “action plan.” The plan included preserving the city’s safety and security, educating young people about the need to refrain from celebratory gunfire and hastening the handover of weapons.
According to a release from the city, the police and fire departments deployed specialized teams to enforce city laws against the illegal use of fireworks, celebratory gunfire and driving while intoxicated (DWI). × This page requires Javascript.
Police, who were alerted to the shooting by ShotSpotter software, said the gunfire came from about 160 yards away, at the entrance to Gaines Park... “This wasn’t celebratory gunfire.
Lincoln police say they arrested a Georgia man just minutes into the new year after he allegedly fired into the air in apparent celebratory gunfire near Peter PanPark... .
A Florida family’s New Year’s Eve celebration turned to tragedy after a 10-year-old girl was struck and killed by a stray bullet from “celebratory gunfire” just moments after ringing in the new year, authorities said.
Moadhamiyet al-Sham, Syria - In years past, the metallic pops of automatic gunfire outside the window would have meant something sinister ... But today, as I visit them, the gunfire is celebratory. The al-Khateeb sisters are happy, too ... "Her body was blue.
LaShawn Grant was spending a quiet New Year's Eve with her three children at home near 26th and Blondo Streets in Omaha when gunfire rang out outside ... .
Security officials in Karachi, Pakistan, announced on Wednesday, January 1, that 29 people, including two women, were injured in the city due to celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.
A child has been announced dead after heavy gunfire was reported in several villages in towns across Lebanon to mark New Year’s celebrations ... This is not the first time celebratory gunfire has caused injury or death in the country.
Rescue officials confirmed the injuries, which resulted from celebratory gunfire during the early hours of January 1, 2025, ARYNews reported.The incidents took place in various areas of Karachi, ...