INDIANAPOLIS — New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate the end of the year and prepare for the new one ahead. As much fun as it is to celebrate, one local family is urging people not to include gunfire while doing so.
“That moment - that one little moment - can cause damage to a person or somebody’s property," Jerome Barnett said.
Barnett knows the dangers of a stray bullet.
“Me and my wife was in bed, and we heard like a loud thud in the next room," he recalled. "We didn’t know what it was, and then my wife got up and investigated...she happened to look up at the ceiling, and there was a hole in the ceiling, and it had a bullet in it."
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Barnett believed it was the result of celebratory gunfire.
“I knew about people shooting in the air and all that, I've been around that… I never thought my house would get hit with a bullet. Like I never thought in a million years that would happen," Barnett said.
Now, he's urging others to reconsider that type of celebration this year.
“Be mindful. It’s cool to celebrate, but be mindful," Barnett stated. "Don’t do things that are going to cause consequences for somebody else.”
IMPD is saying the same, following a rise in celebratory gunfire incidents.
“Anytime you point a firearm into the air and shoot that firearm, it is a reckless act," Tommy Thompson, Public Information Officer with IMPD, said. “We’ve seen across the country, and in Indianapolis, in years past, where those bullets go up and sometimes come down and strike not only property but people.”
“If you shoot in the air, it still has a destination," Barnett said. "Whether it’s my ceiling, a car windshield, a child walking down the block or an old lady walking down the block.”
As we count down the minutes to another year, they urge people to just think twice.
“What goes up must come down," Thompson said.
“Think about your own family. Would you want someone to put your family in jeopardy," Barnett asked.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
