LEE COUNTY, FLA — Many are gearing up to celebrate the 4th of July but something we want to make note of... leaders are talking about how dangerous celebratory gunfire can be and that we need to all be aware of it.
Trish Routte with Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers explains, "We get that people are wanting to celebrate and that's great but there's no reason to bring gunfire. There's no reason to add a gun because once you shoot that gun up in the air you're doing it to celebrate — that bullet has got to come down and if you're in a gathering with a bunch of people that bullet can strike somebody."
July 1st started the new Florida law allowing concealed carry without a government-issued license...
"Life's a little easier now if you're carrying a gun but the Fourth of July is not an occasion to bring a gun to the party," says Routte.
However, the topic of celebratory gunfire has been an issue nationwide for years with local police departments continually reminding residents around New Year's and 4th of July to not celebrate with gunfire.
"If you think about the velocity of when you fire a gun up into the air and depending how far goes up and what caliber of gun when that bullet hits the ground if you've got to say, God forbid a young child standing there you can cause serious injuries by doing that again I think people doing that sort of thing aren't thinking through the whole process you know I'm going to shoot a gun up in the air my way of doing fireworks. The bullet is going to come down that bullet could very easily hurt somebody."
The best way leaders explain just how dangerous celebratory gunfire is is what goes up must come down. Do not shoot into the air.
