Gun victims’ advocates say celebratory gun fire this holiday weekend could be fatal. A group called Bullet Free Sky wants gun users to consider that stray bullets shot in the sky can injure or kill people.
Sandy Duran started Bullet Free Sky three years ago after a stray bullet injured her son during a New Years Eve celebration. She urges politicians to hold gun users more accountable for firing untargeted shots in the air.
“They don’t realize the physics. They think these bullets evaporate in the air. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But if somebody owns a gun, they shouldn’t really know how to use it and be responsible,” she said.
Celebratory gun fire on July 4th is more deadly than on New Years Eve, Duran said.
“When the fireworks go off at 12 a.m., people start firing their fireworks and their firearms. For the 4th of July, it’s not one specific moment. It’s through the whole night.”
Duran has partnered with law enforcement agencies, schools, and other non profits to spread awareness about the risks of celebratory gunfire.
The longtime tradition has injured and killed dozens according to the Centers for Disease Control.