Philadelphia Sheriff Issues Warning Against Celebratory Gun Fire
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, Senator Sharif Street (D-3rd District), Philadelphia Black Clergy, and other civic and community leaders gathered at City Hall on Friday, December 30th, to issue a stern warning against celebratory gunfire.
Bilal said, “We are pleading with the citizens of Philadelphia. New Years is a celebration, and we want you to celebrate. We want you to have a good time bringing in 2023, but what we don’t want you to do–is go outside your house and recklessly shoot your gun up in the air. What goes up must come down.”
Officials call it a serious matter, referencing the celebratory gunfire on the Parkway at the July Fourth celebration that left two police officers injured and sent crowds of people running for their lives. To date, there has been no arrest in the July 4th incident.
Church leaders are concerned about celebratory gunfire. Says Bishop J. Louis Felton of Mount Airy Church of God, “We’ve heard the gunshots as we’re coming out of the church. And so, we try to stay in church as close to 1 o’clock, so that some of those activities can settle down.”
Wrapping up the news conference shortly before noon on Friday, Bilal said, “Celebratory gunshots can result in arrest, regardless of whether there is an injury to anyone. Those caught will face jail time.”
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