NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – While the Fourth of July is only a few days away, police would like to remind citizens of that celebratory gunfire is dangerous and illegal.
The Newport News Police Department says that celebratory gunfire is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $2,500 fine and one year in jail. However, if an injury occurs, it could be a felony.
Bullets shot upwards come back down and can hit the ground, a car, a building, or even a person.
Bullets fired at angles, less than vertical are more dangerous, as the bullet maintains its angular ballistic trajectory, is far less likely to engage in tumbling motion, and so travels at speeds much higher than a bullet in free fall, according to the Newport News Police Department.
Many innocent people have been wounded or killed in the U.S. due to celebratory shooting.
If you would like to report celebratory gunfire in your neighborhood, call the Newport News Police Department at (757) 247-2500. If you would like to make an anonymous report, you can call the Newport News Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
