The consequences and risks of celebratory gunfire can be serious and the King County Sheriff’s Office is saying, “Don’t do it.”

“Any bullet fired from a gun must land somewhere and the risks of causing an injury or death is significant”, said King County Sheriff John Urquhart.

According to a King County press release, every year around the country, people are injured and killed by celebratory gunfire and law enforcement officials want to keep that from happening in King County. The Sheriff’s Office said if they can pinpoint someone shooting, they will fully enforce the law. At a minimum, a person can be charged with reckless endangerment, and if convicted can land the shooter in jail for up to 364 days and imposed a fine of up to $5,000.

Sheriff Urquhart’s bottom line on New Year’s Eve, “Don’t spend your last day of 2012 in jail. Have fun but don’t risk lives.”