TX: Celebratory Gunfire in Dallas

Last night, new year's eve, I waited for midnight, listening intently.  I was in North Dallas, and I had heard that celebratory gunfire was sometimes practiced in the area.

About 10 pm, I heard 4-8 gunshots, (or good facsimiles there of).  They were distant, so I could not be certain.   From 12:01 am to 12:20 am, I heard about 50.  Most were clearly gunshots.  They fit the pattern of gunshots.   There is a certain cadence that is different from firecrackers or random loud noises.   In addition, the timing, just after midnight seems much more than coincidental.

It is a really bad idea to fire projectiles larger than bird shot into the air in an urban center like Dallas.  While shots fired close to vertical pose little danger of serious injury or death, if they are fired at a more acute angle, they can easily kill.   Even a .22 fired vertically will have enough terminal velocity to damage automobile paint or star a car windshield.

Celebratory gunshots are fired for a variety of reasons.  Communicating various sentiments to those who can hear, such as; "I am armed", "You cannot control us", "This neighborhood has guns",  "So does this one", and "Happy New Year", all seem likely.

Celebratory gunfire can be practiced safely.   People could use blanks or fire bird shot into the air.   The terminal velocity of bird shot is so low that it will not even damage car paint.  The major problem is the same as with any activity.  Drunken idiots who engage in it are likely to cause problems.   Virtually all deaths associated with guns fired into the air occur because the gun is fired at an angle enough from the vertical to retain damaging velocity when it impacts.

Theoretically, single projectiles could hit a low flying aircraft accidentally, but I have yet to hear of such a case.

The number of fatalities from celebratory gunfire is very low, in the low single digits per year.

They could all be prevented if people used a little common sense.   But in a nation of 300+ million people, there are bound to be those who make very stupid mistakes that cost other people their lives.   Whether it is taking your eyes off the road for 10 seconds while traveling at freeway speeds, or firing a rifle or pistol into the air at a 45 degree angle, in a densely populated urban environment, it happens.

Staying under a roof at midnight means your chances of getting hit are so close to zero as to be meaningless.

 ©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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