The Chilton County Sheriff’s office has already been sent out on numerous calls of people shooting off guns instead of lighting holiday fireworks. Though the noise of a shooting gun and an exploding firework may equal out to be the same nuisance, the ending can be severely different.

“When people are shooting off guns just into the air, they are not thinking about where that ammunition might be heading,” Sheriff Kevin Davis said.

“When you are not firing a gun at a target, then you don’t know where your bullet is going to land or what it is going to hit.”

Davis said shooting firearms into the air is a criminal activity, and all calls reported to them would be taken seriously and would be subject to consequences depending on the severity of the case.

Davis also said that as the New Year’s holiday approaches, more people are celebrating by having a drink or two. Though this is a common way of celebrating New Year’s, the deputies are still going to be taking people to jail for drinking and driving.

“The holiday is not an excuse to drink and drive. There is no excuse for that, and we will be upholding the law and placing people in jail if they are caught drinking and driving,” Davis said. “If you know that you are going to celebrate the holidays with a drink, then you need to make sure you have a designated driver to take you home or stay where you are at.”

– Ashley McCartney can be reached at ashley.mccartney@clantonadvertiser.com