Dec. 30, 2020 – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office urges residents not to ring in the New Year with celebratory gunfire and reminds them of the dangers of any reckless use of firearms. Stray New Year’s bullets propel into the sky and remain lethal when they come down, posing a serious threat to residents across our county.
“Celebratory gunfire is irresponsible behavior that can lead to injury or the loss of an innocent life,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “Shooting blindly into the air is a dangerous, misguided tradition. What goes up, must come down.”
Shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve 2019, Philippa Ashford, also known as “Phil,” was fatally struck by a stray bullet in the Laurel Oaks subdivision in north Harris County as she stood outside her son’s home.
Ashford, 61, was attending a New Year’s Eve celebration with her family and neighbors and watching fireworks in the cul-de-sac when the stray bullet from an unknown location turned the festivities into a tragedy.
Despite a thorough search and canvassing effort of the area, investigators did not find any shell casings in the subdivision that could lead to the shooter. They believe Ashford may have been struck by celebratory gunfire from outside the neighborhood.
Ashford served as a nurse manager at The Menninger Clinic, a mental health and addiction treatment facility, and an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her colleagues remember her as a leader and mentor to the psychiatric nursing and clinical team.
On the first anniversary of her death, Ashford’s family is hoping for new information that could lead investigators to the source of the gunfire. If anyone has any information regarding Ashford’s death, they should contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division at 713-274-9100, or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS.
Celebratory gunfire can be classified as deadly conduct, an offense that can carry a punishment of up to a $4,000 fine or up to one year in prison.
