'Nothing but pop, pop, pop,' the shots fired each New Year's Eve

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Some ring in the new year with champagne, but some in South Bend are said to fire off guns when the clock strikes 12.

Each New Year's Eve, County Commissioner Derek Dieter posts up near Holy Cross School in South Bend's Near Northwest Neighborhood, to record on his phone what he claims are thousands of rounds of live ammunition, shot into the sky.

He said he's been doing this for about six or seven years. A former South Bend police officer, he often names the types of firearms he hears in his videos.

"People think it's fun to go out and do that, I don't see what the fun of shooting a weapon. After all, if you shoot it in the air, that bullet comes down and can hit people, can hit property," Dieter said. "So, it's just a very dangerous situation."

He told ABC57 he thinks city citations against the people following this dangerous trend might get people to stop.

And South Bend Police also urge the public not to partake in the trend, sharing a post last New Year's Eve, warning that shooting a gun can lead to a $2,500 fine.

South Bend resident Vidal Caballero, Jr. said he hears the shots fired, few and far between, each New Year's Eve. He said he worries about children or others who may be outside when the guns are going off.

"It's not safe. It's not safe at all, depending on what part of the town you're at," Caballero said.