Celebratory gunfire dangers: Bullet goes into family's home

HOUSTON – A Harris County family escaped being struck by a random bullet Sunday, believed to be the result of celebratory gunfire.

They said the bullet pierced the roof of their home, ricocheted off their living room floor and came to rest on the kitchen floor.

"It was very scary. To think we could have been home, we have children," said the mother of two, who asked to remain anonymous.

The incident happened in the North Shore area of East Harris County, near Beltway 8 and Woodforest.

The bullet appeared to be largely intact when it was discovered on the kitchen floor by the homeowner's daughter, 12.

"She started crying when she figured out what had happened," the woman said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office collected the bullet Monday, but the person who fired it was unknown.

On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2014, a Houston man was killed in his driveway watching fireworks, when a bullet, believed to have been the result of celebratory gunfire into the air, hit him in the head.

Last July 4, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to 65 service calls for discharge of a gun.

"It's bad judgment, a lot of alcohol, probably a mixture of the both," Deputy Tom Gilliland said.

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