Man hit by New Year's celebratory gunfire in Bastrop County: sheriff

A man was hit by celebratory gunfire on New Year's Day in Bastrop County, according to the sheriff's office.

BCSO says that it received 47 calls about celebratory gunfire, which they say is not unusual with people shooting into the air during New Year's Eve.

At 12:14 a.m. on New Year's Day, 911 received a call from the Riddle Road area in Cedar Creek reporting that someone had been shot.

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Deputies found that a man while outside his home received a gunshot wound to the upper part of his back in the neck area. The bullet appeared to have dropped out of the sky and BCSO says it was "obviously" a celebratory gunshot that was aimed upward.

There was no gunfire in the immediate area and the victim was treated at the hospital and released.

"This is an unfortunate but great example of why a firearm should never be fired indiscriminately into the air, since the bullet must come down and cannot be predicted, making the person firing the gun subject to criminal prosecution," said the sheriff's office.