HOUSTON – Nicole Rogers says she is approaching this weekend’s New Year's Eve "cautiously."
In 2017 the year was only a few seconds old when a celebratory bullet pierced the window of her mother's home, striking a frame celebrating Barack Obama's presidency, penetrating drywall and ultimately ending up in her kitchen sink.
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"I never understood, like, 'At 12 o'clock, shoot your gun,'" Rogers said.
The 46-year-old admits things are different now as 2018 approaches.
"It's not the same," Rogers said.
The Centers for Disease Controls said when fired into the air, a bullet can return to earth traveling in excess of 200 feet per second, easily able to cause death or severe injury.
VIEW: Link to CDC's website
State Rep. Armando Martinez out of Weslaco nearly lost his life after a celebratory bullet lodged in his skull last New Year's. It stopped a mere 2 millimeters from entering his brain.
During his recovery, Martinez proposed a bill focused on celebratory gunfire in Austin, but it failed to gain traction.
"You know, the situation is still open. It's never been resolved," Martinez said.
As for Rogers' family's case? It remains unsolved, and equally perplexing to her is why anyone would even celebrate with gunfire.
"That’s ignorance. Whether it's alcohol or not, that's ignorance," Rogers said. "That's not a celebration. A gun is not used for celebrating."
