<P> Celebratory gunfire (also called aerial firing or happy fire) is the shooting of a firearm into the air in celebration . It is culturally accepted in parts of the Balkans, the Middle East, the Central Asian region of Afghanistan, and the South Asian regions of Pakistan and Northern India . In regions such as Puerto Rico and some areas of the United States it is practiced illegally, especially on holidays like New Year's Eve . </P> <P> Common occasions for celebratory gunfire include New Year's Day as well as the religious holidays Christmas and Eid . The practice may result in random death and injury from stray bullets . Property damage is sometimes another result of celebratory gunfire; shattered windows and damaged roofs are often found after such celebrations . </P> <P> Bullets fired into the air usually fall back with terminal velocities much lower than their muzzle velocity when they leave the barrel of a firearm . Nevertheless, people can be injured, sometimes fatally, when bullets discharged into the air fall back down to the ground . Bullets fired at angles less than vertical are more dangerous as the bullet maintains its angular ballistic trajectory and is far less likely to engage in tumbling motion; it therefore travels at speeds much higher than a bullet in free fall . </P>

What happens when bullets are shot into the air