reversed logo New Orleans Black

No injuries reported from celebratory gunfire

Section: Community

Mark Waller

New Orleans made it through the New Year's festivities without any injuries from falling bullets fired skyward by revelers indulging in a dangerous tradition, police said.

The New Orleans Police Department reported 66 complaint calls about gunfire amid the fireworks. And New Orleans officers arrested three people for illegally carrying guns and two people for illegally discharging them, said officer Jonette Williams, a police spokeswoman.

Police confiscated two more handguns that had been abandoned, Williams said. Residents called in the abandoned weapons, which Williams said is a sign that people were paying attention to safety around the holiday.

"We feel like we're on a positive trend," of reducing the hazard of celebratory gunfire, she said. "It's partly due to the people knowing it's illegal to fire weapons. We're doing our best to get that message out."

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, reported that it did not receive any complaint calls about plummeting bullets but that deputies caught one man firing a weapon and arrested him, according to a statement from Col. John Fortunato, Sheriff's Office spokesman.

No other law enforcement agencies in the New Orleans area reported any falling bullet incidents.

In addition to patrolling crowded party spots in New Orleans, Williams said police increased patrols in residential areas, which she said was another factor helping reduce the threat.

The last fatality from a falling bullet in New Orleans in 1994 prompted a long-standing campaign against the reckless practice of heralding the New Year with gunshots.

The last injury was reported Uptown during the 2006 New Year's celebration.

Last year, a bullet punched through the roof of an ambulance and narrowly missed one of the two stunned paramedics sitting inside.

Williams said she did not have data from 2007 available on Tuesday to show whether the 66 complaint calls this year amounted to an increase or decrease.

In 2006, the first New Year's after Hurricane Katrina, police reported 108 calls, which was sharply higher than the 19 calls reported during the pre-Katrina 2004 celebration.

More Articles