Celebratory gunfire nearly hits man on New Year's Eve

ATLANTA — Celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve created some scary moments for families across Metro Atlanta.

One homeowner on the Northwest side on Habershal Drive said he heard several shots as the clock struck midnight.

Wednesday morning, he found a bullet lodged in the roof directly over his bed.

"Where it was coming down was aimed right at my wife and I," said Alex Lilley.

Lilley said his wife and 2-year-old son were fine, but he joined the chorus of people who are calling for celebratory gunfire to stop.

A resident in the Kirkwood area captured audio on a cellphone of someone letting off around 16 shots.

"Obviously whatever goes up, must come down and it comes down into our house," said Lilley.

Residents in DeKalb County and across Atlanta are calling for education and stricter laws against celebratory gunfire.

They were pushed to act after four year old Marquel Peters was killed by a stray bullet while he attended a New Year's Eve church service in 2010.

"Don't shoot. It's just ignorant. There's no point in it," said Lilley.

A representative with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms said they will support local police and investigate complaints of celebratory gunfire by carrying out ballistics testing on found shell casings.

WSBTV