Woman Struck By Bullet At Pennsylvania Amusement Park — But Where Did The Bullet Come From?

On the evening of July 4, a 26-year-old woman was struck by a bullet while at the Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. According to WFLA,the woman — whose name has yet to be released — was struck in the upper chest near her shoulder. She was immediately rushed to a local hospital and is now in stable condition. However, investigators have an even bigger task on their hands because there are very few clues to indicate where the bullet came from.

According to the Hickory Record, where the bullet came from still remains a mystery. Several witnesses who were at the park have been interviewed by local investigators, but no one was able to pinpoint where the bullet may have come from. However, investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department speculate the bullet actually came from a location outside the park.

Since the incident occurred on a holiday, there is a strong possibility the victim may have been accidentally hit by a falling bullet. Although it is not uncommon for people to fire celebratory gunshots into the air to commemorate Independence Day and New Year’s Eve, there are consequences that may affect innocent people, which is why it is considered an illegal practice in the United States.

Woman at amusement park possibly accidentally shot by July 4 celebrator http://t.co/WHcwvmoWsO pic.twitter.com/g4HmCadSgI

— Ottawa Sun (@ottawasuncom) July 5, 2015

For many years, avid gun enthusiasts have argued myths about falling bullets by insisting terminal velocity prohibits such shootings from occurring. There have even been reported cases that support theories about the impossibilities of people being struck by falling bullets.

However, the number of supported theories have also been contradicted by several real-life occurrences where people have actually been killed by falling bullets. A 2013 study conducted by Forensic Outreach explains bullet timing and the science of projectile flight in depth, detailing how certain firing aspects can alter the probability of someone being struck. The vast possibilities can range from minor to severe injury. Although there are many factors to consider, there is a strong possibility a person can be hit by a falling bullet.

Here is an excerpt from the study.

“When a bullet leaves the barrel of a gun, it is under explosive acceleration. It is compelled to spin due to spiral grooves cut into the gun barrel, which provide stability and direction during the first 3 to 6 seconds of flight. Eventually, the blast energy wears off, and the projectile, working against air resistance and gravitational pull, begins to drop. If fired horizontally, the energy dissipates in a linear fashion, and unless it impacts against something, it will eventually slow down and come to rest in the dirt.

However, if fired up into the air, some different physical properties come into play. A.30-06 rifle bullet, shot straight up with an initial velocity of 2,900 feet per second (880 m/s), will eventually lose all inertia. The top of the arc is too steep to crest and therefore — once the forward motion is dissipated — it will fall back to earth. It will again accelerate due to gravitational forces until drag from air resistance lets it reach terminal velocity on its unpredictable return path. Incidentally, the bullet fired upwards will not always come back down facing downwards.

If fired at an angle between 20 to 45 degrees or even more, then the bullet will travel farther with a greater probability of hitting something (or someone). The uninterrupted ballistic trajectory will make it far less likely to engage in a tumbling motion, and allow it to continue at a higher speed over terminal velocity.”

No further details have been released about the shooting. But, the Allegheny County Police Department have stated that the investigation will be ongoing. They will be obtaining surveillance footage from the parking lot and surrounding areas in hopes of determining where the gunshots may have come from.

[Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images]