To: Kenneth Kirk who wrote (1182 ) 10/17/2002 9:01:48 PM From: Nemer Read Replies (1) | Respond to >>>> I can't imagine a falling bullet hurting anyone. Am I wrong? howstuffworks.com "What goes up must come down" is an appropriate starting point. If you fire a gun into the air, the bullet will travel up to a mile high (depending on the angle of the shot and the power of the gun). Once it reaches its apogee, the bullet will fall. Air resistance limits its speed, but bullets are designed to be fairly aerodynamic, so the speed is still quite lethal if the bullet happens to hit someone. In rural areas, the chance of hitting someone is remote because the number of people is low. In crowded cities, however, the probability rises dramatically, and people get killed quite often by stray bullets. Most major cities have laws in place to try to keep people from shooting guns into the air in celebration. Edie Smith, New York City - Her 14-year-old niece, Shannon, was killed in her own backyard by a bullet shot into the air more than a mile away. Discharging a firearm into the air is a felony punishable by one year in state prison. Anyone arrested for discharging a firearm will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
