One Person Killed, Five People Injured, by Celebratory Gunfire

Law enforcement officials across the country issued warnings about the extreme danger and illegality of celebratory gunfire. Despite this, there were numerous reports of innocent people struck by stray bullets and injured or killed.

In Memphis, Tennessee, a five-year-old girl was grazed in the leg by a bullet while jumping on a trampoline in the backyard during a family cookout. The girl’s father said he heard fireworks and gunshots in the area making it difficult to determine where the shot came from, though police are investigating.

In San Antonio, Texas at midnight, nine-year-old Sebastian Rodriguez was on the front porch with his grandmother when he was struck by a bullet that lodged about an inch above his knee. “I was right here, trying not to listen to the fireworks, then the bullet hit me from this side when it came from that side…I felt it burn, then pain,” said the boy. No suspect has been identified, but police continue to investigate.

In Moss Point, Mississippi, a 47-year-old man was killed by a stray bullet that flew into his home from a gun fired at a New Year’s celebration. Two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, were charged with manslaughter, with a third being sought by police. There is an ongoing investigation.

Police are working to determine if a shooting that injured a person in Kansas City, Missouri was the result of celebratory gunfire. The victim was treated at the hospital for minor injuries and released.

Twenty five-year-old Leah Latoya Davis was shot in the neck by a bullet that entered a home in Lufkin, Texas through the front door, while she was playing a card game with friends. Her injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. A New Year’s Eve party was taking place at the home, and Kiander Chatman, age 21, had been firing a .223 caliber AR-15 style pistol outside in the woods in celebration. He told investigators he then brought the gun onto the porch of the home, and while attempting to clear it, it fired. He was charged with deadly conduct.

And a 36-year-old woman in Ferguson, Missouri, was in her bathroom when a bullet came through the window and struck her. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. “Sadly, this appears to be a consequence of people recklessly firing celebratory gunshots into the air,” said a police spokesperson. “We will continue to investigate.”

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