Government

Police To Residents: Don't Fire Shots In Air On Old Year's Night

We've had incidents in the past where rounds of projectiles have come back down from the air, gone through churches, gone through people's homes, and injured individuals. The Virgin Islands Police Department has issued a warning to residents of the territory, urging them not to fire shots into the air when the clock strikes 12 a.m. on January 1 in celebration of the New Year. Deputy Police Chief Arthur Hector, Sr. at a Tuesday press conference in Frederiksted noted that the VIPD has become increasingly concerned with the illegal practice. "I want to talk about celebratory gunfire, and this is particularly on Old Year's Night/New Year's morning," Hector said. "I want to say again, we are begging, pleading, asking the public, community, individuals, whether they have legal or illegal firearms, not to fire shots in the air in celebration of New Year's Day. It is illegal, and most importantly, it is very dangerous." Before going further into his remarks, the depu...