Jacksonville mother of 3 says home was struck by celebratory gunfire on NYE

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Southside Jacksonville mother of three is thankful that she, her family and their pets were not harmed when a bullet came crashing through the roof of their home.

It happened on the night of New Year’s Eve. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, it was the result of celebratory gunfire, which is illegal.

This incident occurred in the Secret Cove subdivision and is unrelated to an incident reported on New Year’s Eve on Jacksonville’s Northside.

The bullet left a hole in the ceiling of the home in Secret Cove and landed on the floor. News4JAX was asked not to show the home or identify the homeowner who was with her three children and two pets when the bullet came through.

News4JAX crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson says it was a miracle no one in the house was hit. He also says this is an example of the amount of velocity behind a bullet falling from the sky after it was shot into the air.

“It’s going to come down at about 200 mph with a force that is able to penetrate a roof of a home and end up inside that house,” he said.

Jefferson pointed out that every year just before New Year’s Eve, law enforcement agencies warn gun owners about how dangerous and unpredictable it is to shoot into the sky to celebrate the holiday.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office posted this warning on social media on New Year’s Eve:

“It doesn’t matter what direction you shoot,” Jefferson said. “If you shoot straight up or on an angle or a certain degree, that bullet is going to land somewhere. To shoot it in the air at the risk of taking someone’s life is very dangerous.”

And it could land you in jail facing a charge of reckless discharge and even negligent manslaughter if it leads to a person dying.

It’s unclear who fired the bullet.