Girl shot and killed by stray New Year's bullet

[Baltimatt]

10 year old succumbs to bullet

The girl, identified by police as Aaliyah Boyer, had been in critical condition on life support at A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital in Wilmington. Cecil County Sheriff's Office Lt. Michael Holmes said the girl, a resident of Manheim, Pa., was standing in the yard of a relative's home in the unit block of AJS Court in Elkton, watching neighbors set off fireworks, when she suddenly collapsed. A bullet of unknown caliber had struck her on the top of her head, Holmes said.

Investigators do not know where the bullet came from and have no suspects. Neighbors have told authorities they heard a lot of fireworks and gunshots at about midnight, about the time the girl was struck. "It's our belief that celebratory gunfire caused a wound to the head," Holmes said.

It may be hard to ever find the shooter. Still, idiots need to know those bullets have to go someplace.

RIP and thoughts to the girl's family.

[Marshan Man]

Oh no! I saw this on the news the other day, and I was under the impression the girl would recover. This is bad...

Unreal how people shoot off like that..

[Seadog]

What a waste.
Never firing unless you know where the bullet will go is one of the first things a properly trained shooter learns.
One gun control law I could get behind is mandatory safety training for anyone who wants to buy any gun, or ammunition. Right now, it is only required for handgun purchasers, and I'm told that the state written course was not very well done.

[ivanbalt]

Why do people need to fire guns to ring in the New Year?

New Year's Eve = alcohol = no place for guns.

[demopublican]

I wonder if there is any chance this will be solved. Somebody must have been with the people firing the guns. Pick up the phone and drop a dime on the careless bastard.
Unforgivable

[llubon]

"Vince said the practice among irresponsible gun owners kills dozens of people a year on New Year's and the Fourth of July, and goes back centuries."

Labor Day is another in my area.



Condolences to the Family

[Tootsie]

It is my understand that the police have confiscated all guns near the home to see if they can determine which gun fired the bullet.

[demopublican]

It is my understand that the police have confiscated all guns near the home to see if they can determine which gun fired the bullet.

Hopefully they were not able to dispose of the weapon in time.

[OldBay]

Senseless crime. This practice of firing into the air is imbecilic. I hope they catch the idiot and prosecute to the fullest extent.

Condolences to the grieving family.

[Omaha Beach]

Something smells bad with this s tory from the family. This is a rural area, not like congested Baltimore. If someone hundreds of yards away shot a pistol in the air how could this girl have sustained this head wound. Would not be surprised if this was caused accidently be a nearby family member.

[Sprightly]

So very sad. Rest in peace, Aaliyah.

To those responsible -- which means all that were firing guns -- may you suffer every day of your miserable life.

[Jeebus]

Their house was burglarized while they were at the hospital with the young girl.

All their Christmas presents were stolen.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/girl-dies-y...8#.UObNCm_onng

[jonsensback]

Something smells bad with this s tory from the family. This is a rural area, not like congested Baltimore. If someone hundreds of yards away shot a pistol in the air how could this girl have sustained this head wound. Would not be surprised if this was caused accidently be a nearby family member.

I don't think it's "fishy at all.

Some DA could have been firing in the air in her neighborhood which is just like any suburban neighborhood in Towson or Parkville from the video I saw.

Elkton is all that rural at all in most areas and even have their own ghettos.

[demopublican]

Their house was burglarized while they were at the hospital with the young girl.

All their Christmas presents were stolen.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/girl-dies-y...8#.UObNCm_onng

Unbe-freaking-leavable. The people that did that should be put to death.

[tsmonk]

When I was a little kid living in northwest Baltimore, I used to hear people fire off their guns when the clock struck midnight on New Years. I would be in the bed, and I would hear the boom, boom, boom off in the distance. I never understood why they did this.

[Rintrah]

When I was a little kid living in northwest Baltimore, I used to hear people fire off their guns when the clock struck midnight on New Years. I would be in the bed, and I would hear the boom, boom, boom off in the distance. I never understood why they did this.

To understand why you have to be someone who doesn't care about anyone but yourself.

[Seadog]

To understand why you have to be someone who doesn't care about anyone but yourself.

No, you just have to be aware that some people act without considering the consequences of their actions. That does not mean that they do not care about anyone but themselves, it means that they do not think things all the way through. I'm sure that some Arab firing his Kalashnikov in the air to celebrate his niece's wedding cares a lot about the bride, the groom, and all of the family members surrounding him. But he is not considering the people three miles away that his bullets may fall on.

Celebrating a special occasion by making noise is common throughout the world, and a gun is a heck of a noise maker. However, intelligent people who know and respect firearms would never fire a bullet in the air. Shotgun pellets are another matter. I've been hit by falling pellets, no big deal, it's like rain. But a bullet on the other hand, is an entirely different matter.

I doubt the validity of the statement "... the practice among irresponsible gun owners kills dozens of people a year ..." in this country. People in third world countries do not seem to care. I have heard or read frequent stories in the news about deaths from celebratory gunfire in the Middle East.

[Baltimatt]

An average of two persons die annually from celebratory New Year's gunfire in Puerto Rico.

Bullets fired into the air during celebrations fall with sufficient force to cause injury and death (1). However, few data exist regarding the epidemiology of injuries related to celebratory gunfire. In Puerto Rico, where such celebratory actions are common, news media reports have indicated that approximately two persons die and an estimated 25 more are injured each year from celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve. The Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) invited CDC and local law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation of injuries resulting from celebratory gunfire that occurred during December 31, 2003--January 1, 2004. This report summarizes the findings of that investigation, which determined that 1) bullets from probable celebratory gunfire caused 19 injuries, including one death and 2) such injuries affected a higher percentage of women and children aged <15 years than injuries from noncelebratory gunfire, with the majority occurring in certain public housing areas in densely populated, metropolitan San Juan. Education and enforcement of existing laws are needed to prevent these injuries.

[Omaha Beach]

I don't think it's "fishy at all.

Some DA could have been firing in the air in her neighborhood which is just like any suburban neighborhood in Towson or Parkville from the video I saw.

Elkton is all that rural at all in most areas and even have their own ghettos.

The video i saw showed the house next to a corn fied with no other homes anywhere in sight.

[Baltimatt]

Omaha Beach--

Satellite view of AJS court in Elkton.

Looks like a suburban development to me.

If shot at an angle, bullets can travel far.