# Why don't you ever hear about people getting hit by fallen bullets in certain places? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187 "2004-01-01T23:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/1 "2004-01-01T23:58:30Z")
Every once in a while, you hear about someone in the US getting hit by a bullet that came down from the air. Apparently someone fired a gun into the air for whatever reason, and the bullet came down and landed on someone. However, in certain places in the world, like the Middle East, where they celebrate all sorts of things by firing AK-47s in to the air, you never hear about the bullets coming back down and hitting people. Why not? Do foreign guns have something that makes the bullets go into a low earth orbit or what? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/2 "2004-01-02T00:01:39Z")
You do hear about it. It’s a fairly common event in Middle Eastern countries. I’ll see if I can find a cite for you. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/3 "2004-01-02T00:03:24Z")
You must not be listening very well. IIRC the media reported 27 injuries and seven casualties the other day when Saddam was captured. It was much worse when Iraq left Kuwait. Dozens of people died as a result of celebration bullets falling back into the crowd. These figures are from memory but I will see if I can get some cites. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/4 "2004-01-02T00:09:39Z")
[Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a950414b.html) [Not Cecil](http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2003/09/03/baghdad_morgue_hospital_logs_tell_of_violence/) > [@](#): > > _From second link_ > **Iraqis regularly empty AK-47 clips in the air as a gesture of joy. On Thursday nights, the traditional wedding day, bursts of fire pierce the postcurfew quiet. Many of those stray bullets land Iraqis in hospital emergency rooms.** ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/5 "2004-01-02T00:13:29Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a950414b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a950414b.html) > **[Where Do Bullets Go When Guns Are Fired Straight Up Into the Air?](https://science.howstuffworks.com/question281.htm)** > > If you've ever watched a gun fired into the air at a celebration, you've probably wondered where that bullet ends up. We've got the answer. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/6 "2004-01-02T00:15:21Z")
😃 Beat me to it I see, you dog… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/7 "2004-01-02T00:15:39Z")
You’ll notice the quite generous angle the gun is held at if you watch carefully. Harmless fun, huh? :dubious: Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![terd\_ferguson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@terd\_ferguson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terd_ferguson)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/8 "2004-01-02T00:20:05Z")
I was thinking about this just last night as some people across the street decided to bring in the new year by shooting the sky. Guns and alcohol are a fantastic combination. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-hear-about-people-getting-hit-by-fallen-bullets-in-certain-places/222187/9 "2004-01-02T00:38:41Z")
Believe me, you don’t have to be drunk to do that. Guns and idiots are a fantastic combination, my friend. Alcohol merely greases the situation. Testosterone plays a part, I suspect. 😉