10-Year Old Little Girl Killed by Falling Bullet

[Hookeye]

Target clay loads, like 8"s and 9's? Been pelted by them many times, as our old archery range was across the pond from the skeet field. Pellets that made it through the leaves or branches (when leaves gone) could sting some. You''d hear them coming from other contact and turn away (this when pulling arrows from bales, shooting line farther back and the angle not right to hit there).

6's at 100 yards or so do sting/welt and can draw blood. Even after a bit of deflection.
Some d*ck did that in the dove field at Winamac yrs ago and nailed me. Funny, 7.5 the largest allowed shot size then.

He shot at a sparrow hawk thinking it was a dove as it crossed the line, gap, below tree top level. Shot went over my bud's head (sitting in the gap) and a branch in front of me took some of the hit. I got maybe 4 or 5 welts. And the one that hit me in the cheek drew blood. Lucky most went over and those low didn't hit my eyes.

 

[Hookeye]

I wish I was good enough at math to figure all this stuff out Well you can always use wolfram alpha as the mathematician, but it would still take awhile

Proly too many variables, but fun stuff to try. I looked briefly for the military study. Found it last yr when the subject came up, can't now dangit
Was a good read.

Another thing, what about small arms shot from way high horizontal or with downward angle? That would keep the ballistic advantage of the projectile.

 

[netsecurity]

I'm certain (based on physics alone) that you do not have to fire at an exact 90 degree angle for the bullet to come down at less than lethal speeds, and anywhere near 90 degrees would force the bullet to expend all of its lethal energy fighting gravity. But again, I am firmly against firing live ammo into the air for any reason, since a gun is not a toy.

I'm just saying the shooters who cause these accidents are probably shooting quite horizontally. A drunkard may think he is shooting straight up, but his world could be spinning. Even a shot well over the horizon should technically not be lethal (again, NOT advocating this!), so long as the bullet stays in the air long enough to far exceed its maximum effective range.

What I'm suggesting then is that shooters like this are not just idiots for firing live ammo into the air to begin with, but that they fired in a direction that was obviously EXTREMELY dangerous. And therefore the resulting deaths should not really be considered an accident at all, unless maybe you consider a drunk driving fatality an accident.

 

[Hookeye]

Some energy expenditure is from drag.

 

[Bronsonbull]

Just don't shoot into the air. Regardless of its danger it's just stupid.

 

[GIJEW]

I'm certain (based on physics alone) that you do not have to fire at an exact 90 degree angle for the bullet to come down at less than lethal speeds, and anywhere near 90 degrees would force the bullet to expend all of its lethal energy fighting gravity. But again, I am firmly against firing live ammo into the air for any reason, since a gun is not a toy.

I'm just saying the shooters who cause these accidents are probably shooting quite horizontally. A drunkard may think he is shooting straight up, but his world could be spinning. Even a shot well over the horizon should technically not be lethal (again, NOT advocating this!), so long as the bullet stays in the air long enough to far exceed its maximum effective range.

What I'm suggesting then is that shooters like this are not just idiots for firing live ammo into the air to begin with, but that they fired in a direction that was obviously EXTREMELY dangerous. And therefore the resulting deaths should not really be considered an accident at all, unless maybe you consider a drunk driving fatality an accident.

While apt. shopping, i came across a .380 FMJ laying on the living room carpet. This was a 2nd floor unit and the drywall was spalled on the ceiling where the bullet came through. The roof angle was about a typical 30deg. This trajectory couldn't have been anything close to horizontal, and it was a .380! One can only hope that these ****-heads kill each other, when they abuse ammo as improvised fireworks.

 

[87iroc]

Its always sad to hear these stories. I agree. Gun owners can get in their own way.

 

[KoopaKGB]

I'm certain (based on physics alone) that you do not have to fire at an exact 90 degree angle for the bullet to come down at less than lethal speeds, and anywhere near 90 degrees would force the bullet to expend all of its lethal energy fighting gravity. But again, I am firmly against firing live ammo into the air for any reason, since a gun is not a toy.

I'm just saying the shooters who cause these accidents are probably shooting quite horizontally. A drunkard may think he is shooting straight up, but his world could be spinning. Even a shot well over the horizon should technically not be lethal (again, NOT advocating this!), so long as the bullet stays in the air long enough to far exceed its maximum effective range.

What I'm suggesting then is that shooters like this are not just idiots for firing live ammo into the air to begin with, but that they fired in a direction that was obviously EXTREMELY dangerous. And therefore the resulting deaths should not really be considered an accident at all, unless maybe you consider a drunk driving fatality an accident.

I agree, seems more like volley fire.

In Iraq (and many other muslim nations) at weddings there are whole crowds of men firing AK-47 type weapons into the air to celebrate.

I'd like to think here we are a little bit wiser and more civil, its news like this that always proves me wrong.

 

[traderdan]

Out in the country we fire skeet loads into the air...and probably always will.What a very sad story! I wonder how many children were injured or killed by someone being careless in some other fashion,or inebriated on NYE? Lets not let our emotions distort the facts....this is an extremely rare event.

 

[Redtbird]

Get blank rounds. Point barrel downward at 45 degree angle to the ground. Pull trigger. No problem.

 

[Hookeye]

While apt. shopping, i came across a .380 FMJ laying on the living room carpet. This was a 2nd floor unit and the drywall was spalled on the ceiling where the bullet came through. The roof angle was about a typical 30deg. This trajectory couldn't have been anything close to horizontal, and it was a .380! One can only hope that these ****-heads kill each other, when they abuse ammo as improvised fireworks.

Bullets often change line of travel after initial contact. Angle from roof to ceiling doesn't tell you what angle it took to hit the roof.

 

[CitiusFortius]

Gun owners continue to be the #1 threat to gun ownership in America:

Yup.

 

[CitiusFortius]

Get blank rounds. Point barrel downward at 45 degree angle to the ground. Pull trigger. No problem.

That's a lot of logic for somebody who is (probably) drunk. I don't see how anybody sans alcohol would think it's a good idea to do this in the burbs.

If you're in the middle of a 300 yd corn field with #8 shot, knock yourself out. But this is stupid and I hope the person gets caught and does serious jail time.

 

[churchmouse]

Too all who think no one will be hurt by a falling bullet...Bravo Sierra...This activity is in direct relationship to the Dumb A$$ on the trigger. Some folks should not drive cars....own guns or reproduce. Just an observation from an imperfect person who has made his share of mistakes but never anything like this. I have lost a son but he was 31 and I am still haunted by it to this day. To loose a "Child" would be the end of me.
Our hearts and prayers go out to those people. My God take her into his fold and protect her from us.

It just seems like an up-hill battle and the hill is getting steeper every day. Leave the damn guns in the safe if you are not going to be "Safe"...............Please.

 

[churchmouse]

That's a lot of logic for somebody who is (probably) drunk. I don't see how anybody sans alcohol would think it's a good idea to do this in the burbs.

If you're in the middle of a 300 yd corn field with #8 shot, knock yourself out. But this is stupid and I hope the person gets caught and does serious jail time.

For the LEO to get this idiot is a press as no one will step forward to take responsibility for such an act. I too pray he/she is caught and punished to the full extent but I hold little real hope of this.

 

[SmileDocHill]

Even firing into the ground is not safe. Wasn't there a story posted on INGO years ago about a guy doing work on a gun in his home. He went outside to "test fire" it, fired it into the dirt in his yard, it ricocheted off an underground rock and killed his neighbor sleeping in his upstairs bed.

 

[netsecurity]

While apt. shopping, i came across a .380 FMJ laying on the living room carpet. This was a 2nd floor unit and the drywall was spalled on the ceiling where the bullet came through. The roof angle was about a typical 30deg. This trajectory couldn't have been anything close to horizontal, and it was a .380! One can only hope that these ****-heads kill each other, when they abuse ammo as improvised fireworks.

You are making a big assumption based on myth IMO. Until you find the hole in the roof, and line it up with the hole in the ceiling, you have no idea what the angle was (and, as stated, the trajectory could have changed massively if it hit a 2x4 or metal). You stated the roof was 30 degrees, and I'm saying 30 to 60 degrees could have very likely been the angle of the bullets trajectory, and that is exactly the type of criminal shot that I am referring to. That is no where near 90 degrees straight up!

Nuff said. Not defending celebratory shooting, just bothered by people believing that bullets fall as fast as they went up, which defies physics, since the terminal velocity of a 100 grain bullet is surely not much different than throwing a pebble.

PS, how do you know this was a .380 bullet? 9mm is about the same size, and the bullet should have flattened out a bit anyways.

 

[churchmouse]

You are making a big assumption based on myth IMO. Until you find the hole in the roof, and line it up with the hole in the ceiling, you have no idea what the angle was (and, as stated, the trajectory could have changed massively if it hit a 2x4 or metal). You stated the roof was 30 degrees, and I'm saying 30 to 60 degrees could have very likely been the angle of the bullets trajectory, and that is exactly the type of criminal shot that I am referring to. That is no where near 90 degrees straight up!

Nuff said. Not defending celebratory shooting, just bothered by people believing that bullets fall as fast as they went up, which defies physics, since the terminal velocity of a 100 grain bullet is surely not much different than throwing a pebble.

Regardless...they still hurt/kill people and damage property when they "Come down"
I have pulled a few from the roofs of my houses and they were in deep enough to probably have caused a mortal wound to flesh. Pebbles will not do that. Really, they will not.

 

[KW730]

Wanna know what makes this story even worse?

While her family were at hospital with her, a burglar broke into their Pennsylvania home and stole their Christmas presents.
They also believe strangers are trying to gather money for a fake fund for the girl over Facebook.

US girl, 10, killed by falling bullet on New Year's

I am slowly losing faith in humanity.

 

[mrburtreynoldsou]

I thought this kinda stuff only happened in the MidEast, then to break in to their home...holy smokes. hope they get caught.