Police: Shooting firearms into the air on New Year’s Eve is a major safety concern

EUNICE, La. (KLFY)- Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot says the the police department always has problems with people shooting bullets into the air on New Year’s Eve.

“For those who like to discharge firearms at midnight, I’d like to warn them that what comes up must come down, and those bullets are just as dangerous coming down than they are coming out the barrel of that gun,” the chief said. “So please don’t discharge firearms.”

“A lot of people, and usually it’s youngsters, like to get out there and start shooting, discharging their firearms at midnight,” Chief Fontenot said.

Fontenot said it’s not only illegal to discharge a firearm within city limits but also extremely dangerous.

“Those bullets are going to have to come down and when they come down, they do property damage as well as, they are a danger to human life. If that bullet hits somebody, it will kill them,” Chief Fontenot added.

Fontenot said he started working with Eunice police in 1982, and he’s seen it happen every year since.

“We do have calls that people find bullets on the rooftop of their car or the hood of their car,” Chief Fontenot told News 10.

Eunice police have also had calls about bullets coming through the roof of homes.

“Fortunately in Eunice, we have not had an issue with anybody getting hit by a falling bullet yet, but that’s happened several years back where someone was killed by a falling bullet,” Chief Fontenot said.

If you discharge a firearm within city limits and someone is hurt or killed, Chief Fontenot said you could be charged with criminal negligence, a felony that could lead to time in prison.

If no one is hurt, Fontenot said you could be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to six months in jail.