Originally Posted by rotorhead1026

Again, the issue is whether "straight up" is lethal, and Hatcher, et. al showed that is generally isn't. The examples above relate to angled fire. I read a recent study with a bit more detail - the rounds tumble and don't pick up enough speed to be lethal - vertically. Terminal speed was 100 ft/sec plus for the heavier rounds, though - so one could be hurt very badly. Add a modest horizontal component, though (which doesn't degrade too much over the bullet's path) and you've got a real problem. People firing into the air for celebration would be launching the round from angles ranging from thirty to seventy degrees, leading to the mayhem described in post 21.

We'll agree that they're idiots. If they didn't have firearms, they'd be aiming lasers at us.