News and Investigations

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone that celebratory gunfire—the firing of a gun toward the sky to commemorate the occasion -- is not only dangerous, it’s against the law.

“People have gotten injured and some have even died in various tragedies across the country as a result of celebratory gunfire. When you fire a bullet into the air, that bullet will come down. It could hit a car, a house, or a child. And I promise you, if that happens in Polk County, we’re going to do everything we can to find the person who fired the shot and hold them accountable.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

It’s not unheard of for a stray bullet to land a mile away from where it was shot. Even if you’re inside of a house, you can still be struck by one of these bullets coming through your roof or window.

The handling of a firearm is something to be taken seriously, and never used to celebrate.