When Tyler Michael left his North Nashville home to visit family in Oxford, Mississippi for the long July Fourth weekend, he didn’t think the trip would end up being a lifesaver.
When he returned to his 10th Avenue home near Clay Street, Michael, 36, said he saw damage to the ceiling of his second floor main bedroom and drywall on the ground below.
“I initially thought it was another leak, or maybe an animal,” Michael told The Tennessean July 7.
But, as he ran his finger through the dust and debris, he found a bullet lying on the floor next to the bed in the place he’s called home since 2017. Police later determined the bullet was fired up in the air, went through the home’s attic and then the ceiling on it’s path downward, Michael said.
“I live in a big city, so you hear gunshots. That’s not uncommon, especially on New Year’s Eve and July Fourth,” Michael said. “For whatever reason, instead of fireworks, we decide shoot guns in the air. I guess we’ve forgotten the rules of physics. What goes up must come down, and those bullets fall down.”
Michael was fortunate compared to several others, who did not escape injuries from celebratory gunfire.
Three people among the 365,000 who attended the “Let Freedom Sing” concert and fireworks show in Nashville were injured by falling bullets after celebratory gunshots rang out shortly after the event, police said.
A 60-year-old man was shot in the foot.
A 58-year-old woman who had been sitting, waiting for a shuttle bus at the corner of 7th Avenue and Broadway was shot in the chest.
And a 26-year-old woman was grazed by a bullet across the bridge of her nose as she waited for a ride at the corner of 1st Avenue and Demonbreun Street.
All three victims were treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
They weren’t the only ones.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center said it treated seven adult firework injuries over the holiday weekend and three injuries to children.
Kylie Avery, a hospital spokesperson, said there were 15 children burn outpatient consultations over the holiday weekend.
Tyler Michael finds a bullet that went through his roof and landed into his bedroom over the July Fourth weekend.
Two other people were injured by gunshots on July 5, MNPD spokesman Don Aaron said on July 7.
A 30-year-old woman was treated and released for a gunshot to her left leg while on Rep. John Lewis Way and Demonbreun Street. She was waiting for a rideshare.
And a 33-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg while watching fireworks at an apartment complex.
Both injuries are believed to be due to celebratory gunfire, Aaron said.
Where the bullets came from in those cases and in Michael’s case remains unknown, police said.
Michael said police told him it was possible the gun could have been fired several streets away or right next door.
But, the shooting has made Michael more cognizant of where he will be on holidays when he tends to hear more gunfire. Finding a bullet near his bed was nothing short of shocking for the Nashville transplant. He’s called the city home since 2012.
To make matters worse, Michael said a little rain shower that blew through North Nashville caused rain to come directly through the hole in the ceiling.
So, there’s rain damage to contend with, as well, though it was unclear just how much it would cost for repairs.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Police: Celebratory gunshots cause injuries, close calls around July 4