Police departments across the country are posting reminders on social media about how using fireworks and guns illegally while celebrating New Year's Eve can spell big trouble.
In Texas cities with populations of 100,000 or more, celebratory gunfire is illegal. Dallas State Sen. Royce West put together this law in 1995.
The Houston Police Department joined countless other agencies by posting reminders of this law on social media, noting that celebratory gunfire can be punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine as large as $4,000.
In the Houston Police Department's Facebook post, authorities urge people to "Talk with family members or friends who engage in this behavior. Put the guns away; you could save a life "