The V.I. Police Department is urging Virgin Islanders with guns to abstain from firing gunshots into the air on New Year's Eve, as the results could turn deadly, and those responsible could be jailed.
Here are messages from the territory's chiefs of police:
"There are many different ways to celebrate a special event or holiday, one very dangerous way not to celebrate is by randomly firing guns into the air," said St. Croix Police Chief Sidney Elskoe. "Shooting a gun into the air can have deadly consequences and you might not even know it. A study shows that there is a 1 in 3 chance of death if a falling bullet strikes someone directly."
Chief Elskoe added, "Remember, what goes up, must come down, sometimes with deadly results. The Virgin Islands Police Department wants you to be safe and to celebrate responsibly."
"Celebratory gunfire is against the law. Bullets fired into the air can travel as high as 10,000 ft., with the wind taking them in unpredictable directions," St. Thomas Police Chief Steven Phillip said. "If you are caught firing a gun into the air, you could be charged with a felony, be given a fine and face jail time.
"If a bullet you fire harms someone, you could face even more serious charges and you will go to jail," Chief Phillip added.
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