HOUSTON – As New Year’s Eve approaches, authorities are once again warning Houstonians about the deadly consequences of celebratory gunfire, a danger that turned fatal five years ago in one quiet neighborhood.
On New Year’s Eve 2019, a stray bullet fell from the sky and struck 61-year-old Philippa Ashford at her home on May Laurel Drive in Houston’s Laurel Oaks subdivision. She died after being hit in the neck.
One neighbor, Louis, who did not want to appear on camera, remembered Ashford as kind and reserved.
“She was always nice,” he said. “She kept to herself.”
Louis said the loss devastated Ashford’s family, especially her son.
“It really affected her son,” he said. “That was one of my friends.”
Louis said living through the tragedy has permanently changed how he reacts when he hears gunfire during holidays.
“Shootings are always tragic,” he said. “Real life is way different than on TV or in a movie. You feel it differently.”
Despite repeated warnings from law enforcement, celebratory gunfire continues to injure people across Houston.
On Christmas Eve 2024, 12-year-old Ashley Rodriguez was struck by a stray bullet at an apartment complex on Glenmont Drive.
“It felt hot,” Rodriguez told KPRC 2. “I thought it was a firecracker.”
On New Year’s Day this year, Houston police say a 32-year-old woman was struck in the leg by a stray bullet.
Celebratory gunfire is illegal in Texas and can result in up to a year in jail. But neighbors in Laurel Oaks say the consequences go far beyond legal punishment.
“The life can’t be replaced,” Louis said. “I wish everybody would just take a beat.”
As the new year approaches, authorities are urging people to celebrate without pulling the trigger.
Police warn what goes up, has to come down — and when it does, it can end a life.
“Be aware of what you’re doing,” Louis said. “Save a life.”
Ashford’s death has gone cold.