DPD warns against celebratory gunfire

Gun owners in Demopolis are advised to not fire celebratory shots into the air on New Year’s Eve.

“Weapons should not be used to celebrate the start of a new year,” said Demopolis Police Chief Tommie Reese.

That’s the messages authorities across the state are stressing this week.

“Firing a piece of lead into the air, when it comes down, it’s going to come down with the same velocity that it went up and if someone is under it, you could have serious injury or a death,” said Reese.

“You can’t think of a worse case scenario than that knowing that the bullet fired from your gun might cause the death of a family member, a child, your neighbor or just a stranger,” Reese said. “Discharging a firearm in the city limits is illegal. Fireworks can be just as exciting if used in a safe manner.”

  • 14-7. – Weapons—Gun restrictions generally.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot or discharge any firearm or other rifle or pistol in the city except as follows:

(1)

Ordinary firearms may be fired in legal defense of person, home or family.

(2)

Spring-action BB guns may be fired on a person’s own premises or those of such person’s parent or custodian, provided the shooting does not go over, upon or across any public way or the premises of another.

(3)

Ordinary firearms may be fired in duly constituted and supervised military training or by a legally constituted law enforcement agency of the United States, state, county or city.

(b)

This section applies to all types of firearms and other guns of every kind and description, including, but not limited to .22 caliber rifles, air rifles, flobert rifles, pellet guns, slingshots, air pistols, gravel shooters, blowguns, shotguns and pistols.

(c)

It shall be unlawful for any person to permit such person’s child or ward, or any child in such person’s custody, to shoot or discharge any such firearms prohibited hereinabove, within the limits of the city, except on such person’s own premises and in such way as not to cross over or enter upon the premises of another, and then only the above-mentioned spring-action BB guns.

(Ord. No. 1960-33, §§ 1—3, 6-16-60; Code 1975, Ord. No. 34)