Take Marquel's Pledge: No Celebratory Gunfire

As the New Year approaches, DeKalb County officials want to remind residents to refrain from celebratory gunfire because of the tragic story of Marquel Peters, who was just four when he was killed by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire almost two years ago. This is their press release on the subject:

DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis reminds citizens to celebrate safely during the upcoming New Year’s holiday by not engaging in celebratory gunfire. To show their commitment to refraining from this dangerous practice, citizens are encouraged to take Marquel’s Pledge, a community initiative to raise awareness of the dangers of celebratory gunfire in DeKalb County and throughout Georgia.

DeKalb County developed the initiative in honor of 4-year-old Marquel Peters, who was fatally struck in church in 2010 by a stray bullet believed to have been fired by a New Year’s Eve reveler.

“On this second anniversary of the tragic and senseless passing of Marquel Peters, it still saddens me that he was taken from his family as a result of the reckless behavior of shooting guns in the air in celebration,” Ellis said. “As a result of thousands in our community who have pledged to refrain from this dangerous practice, we continue to see a decline in the reported instances of celebratory gunfire in our county.”

A vital DeKalb County Public Safety initiative, Marquel’s Pledge fosters citizen participation to reduce celebratory gunfire by educating community stakeholders about the dangers of this act. Marquel’s Pledge is a progressive campaign serving as the first community outreach initiative of its kind developed by a county government within the State of Georgia. Since the launch of Marquel’s Pledge in June 2010, the 47 percent decline in the number of celebratory gunfire calls to 911 during the New Year’s Eve holiday is proof that by raising the awareness of the dangers of celebratory gunfire, we make our community safer for all.

Earlier this year, state legislators passed two resolutions—SR 1 and HR 341—in support of Marquel’s Pledge and raising the awareness of the dangers of shooting guns in the air in celebration. Marquel’s Pledge was also honored by the National Association of Counties with a 2011 Achievement Award.

To take Marquel’s Pledge online, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov.

Peters' family recently spoke to CBS 46 about the upcoming anniversary of his death.

Last year, Atlanta Police responded to 235 different calls for shots fired as people welcomed 2011. It is illegal to shoot a gun into the air and the crime carries a $1,000 fine. Remember: what goes up must come down and in the case of a bullet, when it comes down, it can be deadly.