Pittsburgh police: No celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve

Pittsburgh police are once again reminding New Year’s Eve revelers that celebratory gunfire is illegal and officers will monitor the city’s gunshot detection system to track down violators.

Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said in a statement that police will keep an eye on ShotSpotter alerts throughout the city and officers will arrest anyone caught discharging a gun.

The tradition persists annually across the country with reports of fatal shootings and damage to homes and commercial buildings because of New Year’s Eve gunfire.

Pittsburgh police in January charged a Lower Burrell woman with firing a gun on New Year’s Eve into the ceiling of a parking garage at Rivers Casino, but the suspect wasn’t celebrating. Police reported that it happened after a night of drinking and during a fight with a boyfriend.

In 2013, Cranberry police charged three people with firing guns at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Rounds they fired hit at least two homes, according to police.

The Los Angeles Police Department for years has operated a New Year’s Eve Gunfire Reduction Program because of the number of incidents happening in the city. The department reported that a bullet fired skyward can climb for two miles and remain in flight for more than a minute. The bullet reaches a velocity of 300 to 700 feet per second as it falls. A velocity of 200 feet per second can penetrate a human skull.

Hissrich said numerous officers in uniform and plain clothes will be patrolling city streets during the annual First Night Celebration.

“Anyone interested in engaging in illegal activities is advised to just stay home,” he said.