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WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Palm Beach County News - Dangerous July 4th: 5 people injured in West Palm Beach shootings

Dangerous July 4th: 5 people injured in West Palm Beach shootings

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. -- Celebrating the 4th turns dangerous, not once, not twice, but three times in the West Palm Beach area. A total of 5 people shot. In most of the incidents, it appears victims were hit by stray bullets fired into the air to celebrate.

WATCH: Captain recounts woman hit by stray bullet

One of the people hit by a stray bullet was on board a large sightseeing boat. The woman was hit above the chest. She is still in the hospital but will be okay. Turns out the captain of that vessel is retired Coast Guard and explained why celebrating with gunfire is so dangerous.

Capt. Ken Gibson: There was no black order from maybe charring, or heat of any type.

Capt. Ken Gibson of the Majestic Princess sightseeing vessels talking about the 54-year-old woman on the top deck hit by a stray bullet. The West Palm Beach fireworks show had just ended and Gibson was turning the boat in the waterway to go back north when the woman was hit.

Capt. Ken Gibson: We did consider it could have been something lobbed, like gunfire, what we used to call lob shot, where somebody maybe shoots a rifle, then a mile away some child dies or something, you know.

Capt. Gibson believes the stray bullet that hit the woman would have had to have come from the northwest from the main land.

It wasn't the only incident involving gunfire in West Palm Beach. A 40-year old woman near Coleman Park was hit in the chest by a stray bullet. She's in the hospital, but will be okay.

Just a few blocks to the east in Pleasant City another incident three young men hit in the legs by gunfire. They'll all be alright also.

Firing guns, not a safe way to celebrate. The laws of science at work.

Capt. Ken Gibson: What goes up, comes down, has to come down.

A former police officer tells CBS 12 when a bullet is fired there's a tremendous amount of force going up and then when it comes back down it gains speed and therefore force.Dangerous July 4th: 5 people injured in West Palm Beach shootings

Thursday, July 5 2012, 11:33 PM EDT

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