2 arrested over holiday in Phoenix for firing guns into air

PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say two people were arrested in Phoenix over the New Year’s holiday on allegations that they fired a gun into the air.

Phoenix police saw a 33 percent decrease in shots-fired calls between Sunday and Monday when compared to the same period a year earlier.

They have taken efforts over the years to educate the public on the perils of celebratory gunfire.

A law that increased the penalty for random or celebratory gunfire with city limits was inspired by the death of 14-year-old Shannon Smith.

A stray bullet fired into the air a mile away killed Smith in the backyard of her Phoenix home during the summer of 1999.