People often seem to assume that a bullet fired into the air simply disappears. Yet from time immemorial – long before Newton’s theory of gravitation – every human child has learned the same truth: what goes up must come down. When it comes to bullets, what goes up comes down at exactly the same speed it had when it left the barrel. And yet, every year there are stories of the damage caused by people who foolishly adhere to the old tradition of firing guns into the air to celebrate the arrival of a new year. Tragically, this year is no exception.

Around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, the Duran family was celebrating New Year’s Eve on the front lawn of their Ruskin, Florida home when Diego, 12, suddenly collapsed, bleeding profusely from his head, eyes, and nose. Diego had been struck by a celebratory bullet fired into the air, perhaps more than a mile from his home. The bullet hit the top of Diego’s head and lodged in his cheek.

The story made national news earlier this week, prompting an outpouring of support for Diego and his family. The family has set up a Facebook page where they are posting updates on Diego’s condition as he recovers. Though there is little word on his prognosis, he seems to be making a rapid recovery. He was recently upgraded to fair condition at Tampa General Hospital. Here are a few of the most recent posts from the Friends of Diego Duran Facebook page:

Friends Of Diego DuranOne thing that has been asked alot the past few days is what type of bullet. They are unable to remove the bullet and are waiting for the swelling in the brain to go down. It is quite large and appears to be from a rifle. As we get more info on this, we will post. 1 day ago · Like · 1 comment

Friends Of Diego DuranYesterday, Diego’s sister handed him his iPod and he managed to scroll through some songs on his own. It’s great that he remembers how to work the iPod. He picked out a song out, hit “play” and put the volume up. When the nurse came in the room, he lowered the volume! Even while he’s going through all this, he hasn’t lost his manners. He’s always been so respectful! 15 hours ago · 71 likes · 3 comments

Friends Of Diego DuranAlthough Diego is still not able to speak or make facial expressions, he is sometimes able to give a “thumbs up” when he wants to communicate that his answer is “yes” when he’s asked a yes or no question. 13 hours ago · 46 likes · 3 comments