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# Local police warn of New Year’s Eve gunfire
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/local-police-warn-of-new-years-eve-gunfire/
- Published: 2001-12-29T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T22:34:58.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Gunfire on New Year’s Eve can be dangerous*

*By Daily Press staff*

You had better duck and cover when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s, or you could be killed with a stray bullet.

The ritual of shooting firearms on New Year’s Eve may have started in Mexico, but it has moved into the Los Angeles area in the last decade, as well as across the country.

“It’s outrageous and it shouldn’t be,” said LAPD spokesman Jack Richter. “It’s just stupid.”

> “It’s outrageous and it shouldn’t be. It’s just stupid.” — — JACK RICHTER LAPD spokesman

Dozens of people die each year from stray bullets and authorities this week warned against firing guns into the air, saying such acts would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“It’s a problem in Los Angeles County,” said Santa Monica Police Lt. Frank Fabrega. “If you are here in Santa Monica, you will hear 10 to 15 minutes of gunfire.”

Last year, stray bullets killed one man and wounded five others in the county, including a 10-year-old boy. Discharging a firearm into the air is a felony and punishable by one year in state prison. If someone dies as a result of the bullet, the shooter will be charged with murder.

Researchers report that a bullet fired into the air can climb two miles into the air and remain in flight more than a minute. As it falls, the bullet reaches a velocity of 300 to 700 feet per second. A velocity of only 200 feet per second is sufficient to penetrate the human skull.

“That bullet can literally travel for blocks,” said Fabrega. “In all honesty, they travel faster when they are coming down.”

> “That bullet can literally travel for blocks. In all honesty, they travel faster when they are coming down.” — — POLICE LT. FRANK FABREGA Santa Monica Police Department

While law enforcement, in partnership with the community, local businesses and the media, has made an impact on reducing indiscriminate gunfire, the problem persists. Local law enforcement is once again asking the community to celebrate the new year safely and responsibly. Don’t fire guns in the air. Remember what goes up will come down and when a bullet comes down it is traveling at a fatal velocity.

If you see a person shoot a gun, report it immediately by calling 911 and give the dispatcher as much information as possible. If you only hear gunfire, call (310) 458-8491 immediately.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 29, 2001.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122901.pdf?ref=smdp.com)