Mobile police are asking residents to leave their guns out of New Year’s Eve celebrations, warning that celebratory gunfire can turn deadly.
“Bullets discharged from a gun, even into the sky, must land somewhere,” the department said in a news release, noting that falling rounds cause significant property damage to vehicles and homes and “can inflict injury or death.”
MPD said it receives multiple reports of celebratory gunfire every New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. In response, the department will put extra patrols on the streets both days to keep the peace and deter crime.
Officials are asking anyone who witnesses celebratory gunfire to report it to the department — and they noted that an arrest for the offense can carry felony charges.