Dallas police warn against New Year’s Eve gunfire

Police should not have to make this plea but sadly they do every year. People who are caught firing guns into the air on New Year's Eve will be arrested.

DALLAS - Random gunfire on New Year’s Eve is a big problem in Dallas. Police are reminding people that those caught firing gun shots to ring in the new year will start 2020 off behind bars.

Dallas Police Department Sgt. Warren Mitchell said last year Dallas got over 900 reports of random gunfire in a four-hour period before and after midnight.

Some people think shooting off guns to celebrate New Year’s Eve is harmless. But what goes up must come down.

“Someone could get seriously injured, even die from celebratory gunfire,” Sgt. Mitchell said. “It’s mind-boggling because to think that you have to tie up that much resources to handle random gunfire when you can redirect those resources to handle something that’s more critical or serious.”

This year police aren’t messing around. Offenders could face deadly conduct charges and serve between two and 10 years in prison.

“Who wants to start the new year off in prison?” Sgt. Mitchell asked.

Police encourage people to call 911 to report suspicious activity and they are reminding people not to drink and drive.