Texas man watching New Year's fireworks dies of stray bullet

[Independent voter]

There were people in my area firing guns into the air. What are the odds of getting hit by a falling bullet? 1 in a million? I'm vacillating between it being a cool tradition and wanting it banned.

You can tell who has the biggest gun in the neighborhood.

I know of one case where a little girl was killed in this fashion.

us-usa-texas-death


(Reuters) - The death of a Houston man killed by a stray bullet while watching New Year's Eve fireworks with his wife in front of his house has been ruled a homicide, a medical examiner's office said on Friday.

Javier Suarez Rivera, 43, was standing on the edge of his driveway when he dropped to the ground. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said the man died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Paramedics were called, and they provided medical assistance, but Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene, Houston police said.

Houston police said they believed the shot was part of celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve. No arrests have been made in the case.

Police forces in major Texas cities regularly issue warnings ahead of the New Year holiday telling people not to celebrate by firing guns into the air.

A Houston police spokesman said there were no reports of gunfire in the area at the time of Rivera's death.

"We do remind the people every year at this time, and during the Fourth of July, that discharging a weapon into the air can be very dangerous and result in a tragedy like this one," Houston Police Department spokesman Victor Senties said.

[Al Gorefiend]

What a shitty way to celebrate New Years.

Living in Texas, that is. Not just the whole getting shot part.

[Schuetze]

We also used to shoot tracers during NYE and 1. August in Switzerland during the 90s. Pretty awesome.

[PizzaSHARK]

Doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately, being responsible and level-headed isn't a requirement for gun ownership :-/

[Airwaves]

Why the hell was someone shooting randomly in the air? You know your gun control is fucked up when someone even THINKS about doing that. Let alone doing it.

[Rhinopotamus]

Yeah if your gonna be taking celebratory shots please have them be alcholoh.

[breadisfunny]

Why the hell was someone shooting randomly in the air? You know your gun control is fucked up when someone even THINKS about doing that. Let alone doing it.

oh yes because gun control is going to stop someone from firing randomly in the air.

[roflwaffle]

oh yes because gun control is going to stop someone from firing randomly in the air.

yes that's literally the exact thing it would do.

[Rhinopotamus]

Let's not make this about gun control... Like always it's about stupid people control.

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yes that's literally the exact thing it would do.

Yeah disarm all civilians because some people were dumb! Criminals totally follow laws!

[Wildtree]

Americans sadly don't know how to celebrate New Years Eve, that is clear for a long time.

But this one takes the cake.... unfuckingreal..
Stupidity galore

[Tokru]

Crazies firing mindlessly in the air for celebrating something? Seems the Middle East and the US have something in common finally.

[breadisfunny]

Americans sadly don't know how to celebrate New Years Eve, that is clear for a long time.

But this one takes the cake.... unfuckingreal..
Stupidity galore

oh yes lets stereotype an entire nation because of one person. such excellent logic.....

[THE Bigzoman]

In before nation/state bash....


Dammit

[Maconi]

First of all, if we're going to pick a nation/region that abuses Celebratory Gunfire, I'd pick the Middle East before I started pointing fingers @ the USA.

A lot of people confuse the "penny from a skyscraper" and "falling bullet" myths.

A penny won't reach the velocity required to cause any sort of injury from being dropped.

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode4

A bullet isn't falling when you shoot it into the air though, it's just being shot in an arc. Even when you shoot a bullet straight ahead it'll start dropping/arcing eventually (but still have enough velocity to kill). All those bullets you're shooting in the air are no different than bullets shot straight ahead. They're going to lose way more velocity than bullets shot straight, but it's still possible for them to still hit/kill someone when they come back down/at the end of their arc.

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode50

[Wildtree]

oh yes lets stereotype an entire nation because of one person. such excellent logic.....

It is not a stereotype it is a very frustrating fact... The celebrations at the turn of the year are pitiful...
Stop acting as if someone rained on your parade...

[Deleted]

Let's not make this about gun control... Like always it's about stupid people control.

- - - Updated - - -



Yeah disarm all civilians because some people were dumb! Criminals totally follow laws!

Yea stupid people running around shooting in the air totally isn't a gun control issue.. /sarcoff

This is exactly why random people should not own guns.

[Schuetze]

Yea stupid people running around shooting in the air totally isn't a gun control issue.. /sarcoff

This is exactly why random people should not own guns.

Nothing you can do about it. All you can do is get angry about it on a WoW forum, meanwhile everyone still owns guns.

[Wildtree]

Nothing you can do about it. All you can do is get angry about it on a WoW forum, meanwhile everyone still owns guns.

Not everyone..... Statistically 89 guns per 100 ppl.. But... Only 1/3 of the households have guns.

[Deleted]

Nothing you can do about it. All you can do is get angry about it on a WoW forum, meanwhile everyone still owns guns.

Of course there is something you can do about it, it is called gun control.

[Schuetze]

Of course there is something you can do about it, it is called gun control.

Well, go outside and yell about it. Meanwhile people still own and use guns while you just get angry at them for doing something that you don't like.