City officials warn against dangerous New Year’s tradition
With New Year’s Day just right around the horizon, East Valley city officials want to remind residents to ring in the new year in a safe way.
Some residents have a tradition of firing their guns in the air to celebrate the new year. It’s a tradition Coachella Mayor Steve Hernandez says he would rather people not participate in.
“There are so many ways to celebrate New Year’s, but one of them is not discharging firearms into the air. What goes up must come down. We just want to make sure that people don’t put others lives at risk or even the lives of their family members,” Hernandez said.
Authorities say firing your gun in the air is a felony that could carry up to a year in jail. If the bullet ends up killing somebody, you could be tried for murder.
A bullet fired in the air could travel as far as two miles in altitude, as it comes down its velocity will accelerate.
Hernandez says he wants to make sure that everyone enjoys the holiday safely and responsibly.
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