Every year around the 4th of July, law enforcement agencies around the country are inundated with phone calls from people concerned about random gunfire in their neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there are irresponsible gun owners out there who decide that shooting their guns into the air in celebration is a good idea.
“We do experience an uptick in reports of gunfire or fireworks around the Fourth of July. Every year we ask the community not to fire celebratory gunshots into the air. This is a dangerous practice that could hurt or kill someone,” said Karie Partington, Media Relations Bureau Manager for the Collier County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.
Responsible gun owners know that shooting guns into the air is not a good idea. In fact, it’s a really, really dumb idea. When a bullet goes up into the air, it will eventually come down. When it comes down, it’s going to hit something. Sometimes, that something is a person, and tragedy ensues. So, if you’re thinking about shooting your guns into the air on the 4th of July, don’t.
Law enforcement officers responding to reports of gunfire that turn out to be nothing more than the use of celebratory fireworks takes time and resources away from the other important duties law enforcement provides for us. Because it is often hard to tell the difference been the sound of gunfire and that of fireworks, we headed to the shooting range with some firecrackers and a firearm to see if there is a way to tell the difference between the two just by how they sound.
