Posted on 01/01/2010 4:46:43 PM PST by rawhide
A 4-year-old boy attending a New Year's Eve church service with his family was killed when a stray bullet came through the roof, hitting him in the head.
The boy, Marquel Peters, was sitting beside his mother in the sanctuary during an intermission, said Lloyd Phipps, senior pastor at the Church of God of Prophecy near Decatur.
About 350 people were gathered in the DeKalb County church on Covington Drive, waiting for a concert to begin at 12:30 a.m. Friday, Phipps said.
"We heard a loud pop, which we now assume was when the bullet came through the roof," Phipps said.
The child, who had been playing a video game moments before the incident, fell to the floor.
"He appeared to be unconscious at first, and then he started crying," Phipps said.
Phipps said the church members prayed for the child, and continued with the planned concert, believing the child would survive his injury.
The child was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, according to Officer Jason Gagnon with DeKalb police.
The pastor and the parishioners where still in the church when they learned of the child's death about 3:30 a.m., Phipps said. He said during the concert, the boy's family kept him updated on the child's condition, which he believed was improving.
Investigators returned to the church later Friday, where they discovered the point of entry for the bullet: in the roof of the church. Phipps said police believe someone fired a celebratory shot into the air, and it went through the roof on its way down.
"It's one of those things that you just cannot make any sense out of," Phipps said. "This lady took her kid to church, which is the right thing to do. And her son got killed because of someone’s irresponsible behavior."
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Speechless.
whats the problem it happens here in arizona about once a year or so...
That was just a guess. Could’ve been a .38, too. I don’t know exactly how far he was from the idiot. It’s possible that adult beverages were involved. Just sayin’.
A falling bullet won’t kill you any more than a penny dropped from a great height. But a bullet still on its ballistic trajectory, still spinning, pointing forwards, is potentially deadly until it hits the ground.
+++++++++
I put my money on that.
So very sad...
After reaching max-fire velocity this bullet could only gain speed with gravity. I don’t think those investigating found the right answer. RIP child, you are with God.
you have no understanding of ballistic and physics then...
To all you amateur CSI types. Get your sniffer checked. These things happen every holiday.
This makes the most sense. No way a bullet fired relatively straight up in the air can return to earth with enough speed to pass through a multi-layered roof (shingles, tar paper, plywood, insulation, sheetrock and possibly a beam or two) and have enough energy to penetrate a skull. There is more to the story that the writer was probably too inexperienced to ask.
Either way, it’s a tragedy.
amen to that.... either that or the papers here find a reason to lie every year when it happens
A few years ago my husband was checking our roof and found a bullet embedded in the roof, probably from New Year’s celebration. We live near downtown Atlanta.
How do you think it got there?
Presumably is the first thing we have to look at. When I see facts and data manipulated on a daily basis in the press...I tend to question everything because I believe we are continually fed a line of crap (imo). For instance: what was the caliber of the bullet for crying out loud? 50MM???? (illegal) It penetrated the roof and then a human skull? At what angle? Was the shooter 'on the rooftop'?? shooting downward? And church attenders are well aware that a sanctuary ceiling is generally 15-20 feet (sometimes more)above their heads. No, I'm sorry, it just doesn't add up.
It’s poorly written. The family did take him to the hospital ASAP. The rest of the congregation continued to pray etc.
what is you mathmatical equation to prove your theory? you are making assumptions with out critical data...
I agree with you, but the bullet from a high-powered rifle fired vertically into the air will be spinning in the neighborhood of 250,000 rpm and I don’t think the bullet will quit spinning before it falls back to earth.
I do think you are right about it falling butt-first, maintaining its upward heading because of the gyroscopic stability of its spin.
And I could be wrong.
I have yet to see one of their gun related shows where they don't screw something up, either out of sheer stupidity, ignorance, or smug leftist arrogance.
The one who wears a beret is about average of what you might see at the range on an off weekend, (barely safe enough to turn your back on), but the rest of that mouth breathing bunch...
Look, I’m not going to argue about this or debate it. It doesn’t take ‘Eienstein’ to come to the conclusion that there is something that is not right.
What are your mathmatical equations to prove it happened?
10 years worth of the Arizona republic and east valley tribune reporting incidents similar to this... along with man major news agencys around the world that have reported similar incidents... if you are so sure of your belief that this cannot occur go ahead and fire a gun into the air if I am wrong I will apologize but most likely you will be visited by a cop and he will tell you that this occurs...the reported evidence over the years outweights you belief that it does not occur.
for sure... myth busters put that to rest tonight.. now some jack a_ _ may have shot through the roof for fun and hit the kid.. but a bullet coming down through a roof and into the kids head... bs! terminal velocity....
Fired at an angle, it’s definitely possible. Fired straight up it will not have enough energy to go throug a roof and then kill someone. And, yes, I have a very good understanding of Physics.
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