Report Highlights: A stray bullet death or injury occurs when an innocent bystander is struck by gunfire. These incidents are rare but avoidable.
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There were 109 verified incidents of stray bullet deaths and injuries in 2025.
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There were 94 verified incidents of stray bullet deaths and injuries in 2024.
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As many as 32% of celebratory gunfire injuries result in death.
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South America leads the world in the number of stray bullet deaths, with Brazil having the highest rate.
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South America leads the world in the number of stray bullet deaths, with Brazil having the highest rate.
Related Data Studies: Gun Death Statistics by Caliber, Accidental Shooting Statistics, and Gun Deaths in the U.S.: The Most At-Risk Demographics.
Disclaimer: Stray bullet incidents aren’t widely studied or researched. Therefore, we relied on news articles and known incidents to compile the data below. The incident rates are likely higher.
Methodology
In a “stray bullet incident,” a bullet strikes an innocent bystander who is not related to a conflict or action that resulted in gunfire. A celebratory gunfire incident, in which an innocent bystander is unintentionally injured or killed as a result of celebratory gunfire, is a type of stray bullet incident.
Celebratory gunfire incidents are challenging to define because journalists and local law enforcement agencies do not always report whether the victim was the intended target. Therefore, injuries and deaths related to homicides were counted as “celebratory” only if they were clearly identified as such by officials.
Stray bullet incidents aren’t widely studied or researched. We relied on news articles and known incidents to compile the following data, although actual incident rates are likely higher.
Incidents in this report include only those where an unintended person was hit with a bullet. This report does not include those injured in mass shootings, those who were participants in a conflict, or unverified victims.
How Many People Die from Stray Bullets Each Year?
Seventy-one stray bullet deaths were verified in the United States between January, 2024 and December, 2025. In 2024, 32 people were killed by stray bullets. That number rose to 39 the following year.
Compared to all other shooting injuries, stray bullet deaths appear to be the rarest. However, these types of shootings aren’t widely reported, and can be challenging to discern from other shooting incidents.
How Many People Die From Celebratory Gunfire Each Year?
Stray bullet deaths and injuries occur on New Year’s Eve and Independence Day at higher rates than on any other day. There were 16 confirmed incidents of celebratory gunfire deaths and injuries in 2024, and four in 2025.
Although exact counts are unavailable at the national and global levels, some studies offer greater insight into celebratory gunfire incidents. Celebratory gunfire often involves falling bullets (from gunshots aimed upwards). These bullets may return to earth at high velocity. For example, a .30 caliber bullet may fall faster than 300 fps (more than the 200 fps threshold to break skin).
Celebratory gunfire injuries are most often inflicted on the head and feet, and can be lethal. Between 1985 and 1992, 118 patients in California were identified as wounded by falling bullets (celebratory gunfire). Of those, 32% died. 8 One hundred sixty-five injuries from celebratory gunfire were identified in India and Pakistan between 2006 and 2010. Of those, 13 died. 9
Continue reading Stray Bullet Death Statistics (Updated December 2025) on Ammo.com