Police Ask For No Celebratory Gunfire On July 4th
WORCESTER (CBS) -- Police in Worcester are asking residents to refrain from firing guns into the air while celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend.
The department's request, shared hundreds of times on Facebook, says that celebratory gunfire is a "big problem" for many cities, especially around the Independence Day holiday.
"Sadly, it often has tragic results when innocent people are hit by the bullets, are injured or killed," police said. "The reality is that any bullet discharged from a gun, even into the sky, must land somewhere, and when it does, there's significant risk of injury or death."
Related: July 4 Safety Checklist
Worcester police said officers will be deployed to parts of the city that saw the most illegal gun and fireworks activity during last year's celebrations.
"Officers will respond to all ShotSpotter activations throughout the City, particularly in these areas, and arrest anyone caught discharging a firearm in public," police said.
Police will also be out and about on July 4 to keep the peace and make drunk driving arrests.