As New Year’s Eve celebrations kick off, public safety officials across Georgia are sounding the alarm about the dangers of celebratory gunfire. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, this is the long-held tradition in both the South and the Middle East of firing a gun into the air when one is celebrating something.
While fireworks may light up the sky, stray bullets fired into the air can cause serious injuries—and even death—when they inevitably come back down. For those still unclear, gravity is not a myth.
Why It Matters: Law enforcement officers stress that bullets fired into the air don’t just disappear. Gravity ensures they come down, often at speeds fast enough to penetrate roofs, vehicles, and, tragically, human bodies. Public safety officials remind residents every year about what they should have learned by third grade, that what goes up must come down—and it can come down hard.
What Officials Say: Public safety agencies warn that celebratory gunfire is illegal and carries severe consequences. In Georgia, reckless discharge of a firearm can result in fines, jail time, and felony charges—because treating a gun like a party favor is never a good idea. Police are also increasing patrols to address the issue.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, cases involving stray bullets spike on holidays, particularly during New Year’s Eve and July Fourth celebrations.
Why This Should Catch Your Attention: Authorities emphasize that celebratory gunfire has resulted in accidental injuries and fatalities in past years. Victims are often innocent bystanders, including children playing outside or people inside their homes who never expected their ceiling to double as a bullet catcher.
Bullets returning to earth can reach speeds over 200 feet per second—fast enough to kill and much faster than the thought profess of the person firing the gun into the air.
How Gravity Works—for Anyone Who Missed That Day in School: In case you were one of the growing number of students who preferred eating paste to learning during your elementary school days, gravity is the invisible force that pulls everything toward the ground. This is why when you jump you don’t float up into the sky or why if you throw a ball up, it will come back down. The catchphrase of gravity is “what goes up must come down.”
While this basic science lesson often gets lost in the excitement of the clock striking midnight on December 31, ignoring it can lead to tragic outcomes.
What’s Next: Police departments are urging residents to stick to safer ways to ring in the new year. Fireworks, noise-makers, and music are all better alternatives to firearms. Because nothing says “Happy New Year” like not ending up in handcuffs or the hospital.
If you witness celebratory gunfire, authorities recommend calling 911 immediately and providing as much information as possible.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
