Alabama police: Do not shoot guns in public to celebrate Fourth of July

Each year, police warn revelers ahead of the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve to avoid walking outside, raising their gun to the sky and shooting off rounds of ammunition out of celebration.

The activity is illegal. And in a year where gun-related crimes continue to be problem, and where some cities are seeing more homicides than last year, police are again warning residents not to shoot their guns ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend.

“The Mobile Police Department is committed to a policy of zero tolerance of illegal gun use and to combating gun violence in the community,” said Charlette Solis, spokeswoman with the Mobile Police Department in a news release reminding residents to refrain from celebratory gunfire.

“The mission is to protect the quality of life for all residents by creating an environment of enhance safety and security.”

Mobile police are reminding residents that the reality is “any bullet discharged from a gun, even into the sky, must land somewhere.” When it does, “the risk of injury or death is significant.”

Mobile, as part of its “Operation Echo Stop” crime-fighting initiative, recently rolled out new shot spotter technology in which cameras can detect gunfire in a small area of the city.

Last year, the city of Montgomery utilized the technology to alert authorities of gunfire activity during the Independence Day holiday. Montgomery, according to media reports, experienced a 50% decline in calls related to illegal gunfire or fireworks compared to 2020.

Reed told WFSA-TV last July that the city has a “zero tolerance” policy toward illegal gun-related activity.

Mobile police say that anyone caught discharging a firearm in public could be arrested.

Birmingham police, in 2020, issued a similar news release informing residents that fireworks and celebratory gunfire are illegal in the city limits.

In Elmore County, Sheriff Bill Franklin recently told WSFA-TV that those who participate in celebratory gunfire can be charged with assault, manslaughter, or even reckless murder.

It’s not Alabama agencies warning against shooting off guns in public to celebrate the holiday. Authorities in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and beyond are releasing notices warning residents against the practice.