Ten Year Old Girl Shot By "Celebratory Gunfire" In Critical Condition

[jberryhill]

Elkton, Maryland may get the "first of the year" award:

http://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_570bb62c-5446-11e2-87dc-001a4bcf887a.html

Elkton girl struck by celebratory New Years Eve gunshot

A 10-year-old girl is in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head after being hit by a bullet fired into the air just after midnight Tuesday, said Lt. Michael Holmes.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Oh no! Poor child, I hope she recovers fully.

What kind of idiots fire their guns randomly like that? Never mind, I don't want to know.

[ManiacJoe]

2. This is the reason that celebratory gunfire is illegal.

[sakabatou]

3. Yup

[jberryhill]

13. Can you cite that law?

I'm curious about that. I don't know anyone in Cecil County, MD who has ever gotten into trouble for shooting anything that didn't hit someone.

To which section of the MD State Code or the Cecil County MD Code are you referring?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

19. Could probably fall under reckless endangerment.

[pipoman]

4. Hopefully they find the shooter

and the victim recovers fully.

[Webster Green]

5. WTF is wrong with people who fire bullets into the sky?

What goes up.....

WTF?!

[bluestate10]

21. They don't understand physics. In fact, all of them are ignorant assholes. nt

[RebelOne]

6. A little boy was killed by celebratory gunfire while sitting in church in Atlanta.

http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/police-warn-residents-about-celebratory-gunfire/vmML7/

[SunSeeker]

7. Happens all the time. I'm sure the person who did this thinks they're a "responsible gun owner." nt

[Robb]

8. Or that the law against celebratory gunfire is an unjust law that doesn't deserve their respect.

[jberryhill]

11. Can you cite the to applicable law in unincorporated portions of Cecil County, MD?

I don't know if there is such a law there, but I do know this:

"NRA names Cecil County MD Sheriff’s Deputy 2011 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year

Read more at Ammoland.com: http://www.ammoland.com/2012/03/08/nra-names-cecil-county-md-sheriffs-deputy-2011-law-enforcement-officer-of-the-year/#ixzz2GlXAWnhC "

[Robb]

22. "Unincorporated"? She was shot within Elkton town limits.

Like a lot of towns, it's against the law to discharge firearms for no reason.

9.08.010 Discharge of firearms.
It is unlawful for any person to fire,
discharge or set off any gun, rifle, pistol,
revolver or other firearm, air rifle, cannon,
torpedo, squib or other dangerous weapon of
any character within the town without a
written permit from the chief of police;
provided that this section shall not apply to
members of any military unit when engaged in
drilling or target practice under the command
or direction of an officer thereof, or to the use
of firearms in the lawful defense of person or
property, or to the use of firearms by members
of the police department in the lawful
discharge of their duty.

Misdemeanor offense against the public peace.

[jberryhill]

24. It wasn't clear to me if she was in Elkton proper or not

[Robb]

25. Well, if so, then what I said (I went by the dateline).

If not, a county *can* regulate the discharge of weapons. No idea if Cecil County did, but they're allowed to under state law.

[Butterbean]

9. Every damned year. It happens every damned year. SMDH.

I hate it, and I am always terrified on NYE because of it.

[JI7]

10. i think people who celebrate this way are stupid fucked up jackasses

happens almost every fucking year. dumb fucking shits. always seems to be a kid who gets hit also.

[Butterbean]

14. Yep. Always an innocent kid, and it always seems to be a kid who

gets hit by the stupid bullet coming into the house or something. It just freaks me out. Makes me want a bulletproof house.

[Initech]

18. Yup - it's completely reckless and stupid, and not helping the case for guns.

[NutmegYankee]

23. It's utterly fucking stupid.

And they should be tracked down and lined up in front of firing squad. The gene pool could use the bleach.

[Kalidurga]

12. It's been past time to take this seriously...

People firing guns for no reason need to be locked up for a long time. I am sure they lack common sense in other areas as well and areas that might be just as dangerous. Like letting their children ride in the back of a pick up truck. Or bathing with their hair dryer close to the bath tub. I could go on and on about all the stupid crap people do, but this one is really very close to the top of the list.

[Odin2005]

15. I thought this shit only happened in 3rd World countries?

Oh, wait, the US is a 3rd World country.

[Igel]

28. I don't remember anybody firing into the air in MD when I lived there.

Or in Oregon, to be honest, when I moved there.

Late addition to the panoply of American culture. Perhaps present in some areas. Not MD or OR.

[aikoaiko]

16. This is a tragedy caused by wreckless criminal behavior.

And there are blanks available for a lot of firearms if one must.

http://www.riverjunction.com/Blanks_c_47.html

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

17. I always fire my celebretory shots into the ground or a dirt pile.

Never into the air.

[Raine]

26. That's what my father did a couple times when I was kid then he decided

it wasn't good to contaminate the ground with lead so he quit doing it.

[jberryhill]

30. I used to fire mine into a Kleenex

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Obviously, it's the fault of New Years Eve.

And the girl, who chose to get in the way of a Constitutionally protected 2nd Amendment precious-stroking.





PRECIOUS!

[CatWoman]

27. that happened here two years ago

only difference is it was a little boy and he was sitting in church. In church, for gods sake.

[ThoughtCriminal]

29. Another fine example of our "Well Regulated Militia" in action

AKA: Any idiot with a gun.