If you’re thinking about shooting your gun in the air to celebrate some important occasions or holidays, the police have some advice: Don’t.
“Shooting a gun into the air is not only reckless, but it’s extremely, extremely dangerous,” Sgt. Michael Wood, a spokesperson for Indiana State Police, said.
While it can be easy to adopt the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude toward shooting a gun in the air, bullets are not exempt from the laws of gravity.
“What goes up must come down,” Sgt. Shane Foley, the spokesperson for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, said.
This is exactly what happened to 13-year-old Noah Inman who was just playing basketball outside at a family Fourth of July party when he was struck in the head by a falling bullet.
The next, he was on the ground, fatally injured by a bullet that had fallen from the sky. Noah died in a Chicago hospital, six days after he was hit by the bullet, which police believe was fired into the sky “like a firework” by somebody celebrating in a nearby community at around 9:30 pm.
“Unfortunately, this is a common action by many people who own guns in our city and they need to know this action has consequences and will be dealt with severely by the Hammond Police Department,” the police department said in a statement. “We ask the public to please keep your Fourth of July celebrations to the use of legal fireworks only.”
After learning of Noah’s death, Hammond police released a second statement.
“The Hammond Police Department would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the Inman family,” the statement said. “We wish you peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead, and loving memories to forever hold in your hearts. Our hearts go out to you in your time of sorrow. When reason fails, pray for peace. We will be praying with you.”
Gun owners have a duty to be responsible and aware of the weight that comes with carrying a firearm.
“Be a responsible gun owner. It’s a deadly weapon. If you are a gun owner and possess a gun, you have a responsibility to use safe precautions,” Woods said.
Police said an autopsy on the boy will recover the bullet, bringing them closer to determining what kind of gun it came from. Detectives did not have a suspect in custody yet. The bullet, police said, could have come from the same neighborhood, or one of the many cities that border Hammond.
“I don’t know what (people who shoot their guns in the air) think happens — the bullet disappears into thin air?” Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. told the Tribune.
“It’s like getting struck by lightning — so senseless.”
Sources: OpposingViews, WMAQ (2), Chicago Tribune