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Are bullets shot in the air dangerous? Here's what you should know

pulse.ng 3 days ago

When police fire bullets into the air to disperse crowds, they create a hazardous situation with potentially deadly outcomes.

A past image of a police officer holding a gun
A past image of a police officer holding a gun

When bullets are fired in the air, they don't crossover into space, they reach a maximum of about 3 kilometers depending on the round.

A bullet shot upwards encounters air resistance and gravity which slows it down but after reaching maximum height it begins the decent.

Understanding the trajectory and impact of these bullets is crucial for recognising the dangers involved.

Photo illustration of a bullet going up
Photo illustration of a bullet going up

Bullets fired straight up into the sky follow a vertical trajectory, reaching a maximum altitude before descending.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Julian Hatcher's experiments in the 1940s revealed that a standard .30 caliber bullet fired vertically can reach an altitude of 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) and descend at a speed of 91 meters per second.

At this terminal velocity, the bullet is capable of penetrating human skin and causing serious injury or death.

Even at a speed of 61 meters per second, a bullet can penetrate the skin. If it hits a critical part of your body, it could mean death.

When bullets are fired upwards an angle, they follow a ballistic trajectory and maintain higher velocities upon their return to Earth.

These bullets can travel much farther horizontally, sometimes landing very far away from the shooter.

This makes it challenging to identify the source of the gunfire and increases the risk of injury or death over a wide area.

Police officers at work
Police officers at work

Bullets fired at an angle do not tumble through the air, allowing them to maintain speeds that can exceed hundreds of miles per hour.

The danger posed by falling bullets extends beyond the immediate protest area.

The seemingly harmless act of firing a gun into the air creates a hazard for anyone within a two-mile radius, and the risk persists for up to two minutes after the final gunshot.

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