Gunshots or fireworks: How to tell the difference

Fireworks or Gunshots??? It’s a nightmare scenario to wake up to. How CAN YOU TELL what you just heard and when to call the police?

Keep checking back for the latest breaking news in your area and beyond. If something happens that impacts where you live or improves life where you live, ABC7 will be there to share that story. And we don't just report what happens, we care about what happens -- because we live here, too.

When you see news happen where you live, share it with us by tagging your social posts, video, and photos #ABC7Now, and you might be featured on our social media pages, website, app or TV.

MORE ABC7 NEWS:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Get all our special reports, weather, and traffic stories in one place.
--Like our page for buzzy stories, breaking news, and more.
-- Follow us for breaking news as it happens.
-- Tag your photos and videos #ABC7Now and you might be featured on our social media pages, website, app or TV.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel -- thanks for stopping by!

[bridgetelise]

OKAY WHO IS JUST HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN HEARING LOUD BANGS AT NIGHT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD BUT DONT KNOW IF ITS A GUNSHOT OR FIREWORKS

[josephgottschalk]

Gunshots or fireworks... the hood may never know

[omfuga]

This video is the best sound sample of what it actually sounds like to be at home and hear gunshots/fireworks in the distance. All these years I've been complaining about my neighbors setting off fireworks at the oddest times of the year, especially at night. After this video, I think it may have been mostly gunshots...

[Jammyjellyfish]

What if you just hear one loud bang that echos through the neighbourhood and nothing else??

[oneoneoneoneoneoneoneone]

i just heard rapid pops go off, spread out evenly, then a sound of a car speeding away.
happy 4th of july!!

[Meh-snkj]

Ok yeah im calling the police
Heard about 6 gunshots

[freduardo]

Ah yes, one of my favorite games - "fireworks or gunshots?"

And by, "one of my favorite games, " I mean, "I'm scared to sleep at night"

[hashimpannu]

Literally looked this up, because I heard "pop, pop, pop" during the day. Didn't make sense to have fireworks during the day but I thought maybe there's a game or something going on. Just as I was looking up this video, I heard sirens and concluded yeah it was probably gunshots.

[ZeroTwo-ysjw]

I’m hearing one like every ten minutes I’m scared

[mattpahl]

Welp I guess someone in my neighborhood just got shot about 6 times

[LittleBeams]

This whole time I thought I was just hearing firecrackers dude omg there’s been gunshots EVERYWHERE

[lilyparker]

I hear a bunch of gunshots outside my window every day I always thought they were firecrackers 😳
Seriously, though, idk where they’re coming from. I live in a super safe neighborhood. People literally leave their garages open without getting robbed.

[cuh]

Yo who's coming here at 2:11 am because they hear loud ass bangs outside and want to know what the difference is between them

[NightLynnx]

Wait wait wait, I'm hearing these big loud booms, no crackle every night ranging from 9pm to 1am...

[llje]

I heard 3 shots, it sounded so close by. I’m trembling right now with adrenaline rush

[TammyLetterman]

When you put music to a video that is supposed to help decipher sound you just created a different set of challenges.

[emilyvogt]

Earlier this evening, I heard the sound at 0:21 (exactly 10 shots) from a nearby building in my suburban apartment complex and immediately called "911". It apparently WAS gunfire because at least 4 patrol cars arrived and a police helicopter began circling above the apartment complex...hopefully nobody was injured or killed in this incident.

[kristyo]

Single boom comparison would be helpful too.

[oscarstephen]

After watching this video I have determined that I live in a bad neighborhood lol

[thewalkingmic]

I’m sitting in a parking lot by myself and I hear individual pops across the street. The 4th of July is in a couple days but I don’t see fireworks 😂