LASD warns against New Year’s gunfire

City also encourages residents to not use illegal fireworks, offers $500 reward for tips leading to citations

Sheriff’s Department officials reminded residents Friday that shooting a firearm into the air to celebrate the new year isn’t just recklessly dangerous — it’s also a felony.

The city of Santa Clarita is also looking to cut down on illegal booms on Dec. 31, and it’s incentivizing

“Unfortunately, and all too often, the celebration of brooming-out the old and welcoming-in the new is disrupted by indiscriminate gunfire into the air,” according to a Sheriff’s Department report from Nixle.

The adage of "what goes up, must come down" rings especially true in this case, and with the acceleration of gravity, physics determine free-falling objects speed up as they return to earth. The danger of injuring someone with firing even a single round into the air is a lethal prospect. Each year, tragic reports nationwide tell of unsuspecting victims being struck and tragically injured by falling bullets caused by celebratory gunfire.

“Last year, as we all rang in 2017, deputies responded to 117 ‘Illegal shooting’ calls for service throughout Los Angeles County, neighboring contract cities and unincorporated communities,” the report cited. “Of these calls, one male adult was struck by a descending bullet, causing a laceration to the back of his head as he stood in his front yard.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department wants all to know shooting into the air is not only irresponsible, but a felony-level crime. Willfully discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner which could result in injury or death to a person is a violation of section 246.3(a) of the California Penal Code.

The city of Santa Clarita also encourages residents to enjoy themselves when ringing in the New Year, but wants to make sure no fireworks are involved.

The city is offering a cash reward up to $500 for any information that leads to a citation for illegal firework use.

After a crackdown on firework use across Los Angeles County before Independence Day, Santa Clarita’s City Council approved the reward in October.

“The council realizes the reward alone won’t bring an end to the proliferation of illegal fireworks,” Councilman Cameron Smyth said. “However, it’s important we pursue every avenue possible to reduce these dangerous, illegal activities.”

A press conference in June held by the city and the county showed illegal fireworks could lead to personal injuries and house and brush fires.

“All we need to do is look at the devastation the recent fires have brought to remind us of how quickly lives can be destroyed,” Smyth said.