A video of Psi's "Gangnam Style" is going viral again. Only this time, the video isn't just a cheeky pop song. The video is apparently from a wedding party in Yemen. Guests at this wedding are dancing to "Gangnam Style." At the start of the video, you see a man firing celebratory gunshots from his AK-47. Nobody seems to mind. People keep dancing and the mood appears light and festive.
One minute later, the gunman rattles off another series of rounds. The dancing and music continue for a few seconds and then some revellers recoil in horror as they discover three people dead on the ground. I did some digging around the internet and couldn't find a reliable report on this event. But, from the looks of it, the gun was accidentally discharged in the direction of other party-goers.
I've never really understood "celebratory gunshots." I know that it's a popular pastime for some people on the 4th of July and New Years in the US, but wonder why people engage in such a risky practice? Do they believe that the bullets just magically fly away and disappear in the clouds?
When people fire gunshots into the air, bullets travel at high velocities into the sky and then fall back to earth. This is basic gravity at work. Doctors say that bullets fall back to the ground at a speed of 90 to 180/meters per second. A bullet travelling at less than 60 meters per second can cause a fatal head injury.
Each year, there are other tragic stories of innocent people struck by celebratory gunfire. For instance, in 2012, Diego Duran--a 12 year old from Ruskin, FL--was struck by a celebratory bullet falling back to the ground. It hit him in the head and was lodged somewhere in his cheek. He spent 5 months in the intensive care unit. Eventually, Duran made a full recovery, but his story is a reminder of how dangerous and risky celebratory gunfire can be.
I wonder if anyone has stories of celebratory gunfire from their own neighborhoods?
Here is the video. Be forewarned: It is graphic and disturbing.
I've never really understood "celebratory gunshots." I know that it's a popular pastime for some people on the 4th of July and New Years in the US, but wonder why people engage in such a risky practice? Do they believe that the bullets just magically fly away and disappear in the clouds?
When people fire gunshots into the air, bullets travel at high velocities into the sky and then fall back to earth. This is basic gravity at work. Doctors say that bullets fall back to the ground at a speed of 90 to 180/meters per second. A bullet travelling at less than 60 meters per second can cause a fatal head injury.
Each year, there are other tragic stories of innocent people struck by celebratory gunfire. For instance, in 2012, Diego Duran--a 12 year old from Ruskin, FL--was struck by a celebratory bullet falling back to the ground. It hit him in the head and was lodged somewhere in his cheek. He spent 5 months in the intensive care unit. Eventually, Duran made a full recovery, but his story is a reminder of how dangerous and risky celebratory gunfire can be.
I wonder if anyone has stories of celebratory gunfire from their own neighborhoods?
Here is the video. Be forewarned: It is graphic and disturbing.
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