Can "tired bullets" be fatal?

Abstract

This case report describes a six year-old boy who was diagnosed as having an accidental firearm injury from a 'tired bullet.' When a shot is fired at a right angle into the sky, the bullet loses its kinetic energy and velocity after a certain distance, then starts to fall and reaccelerate due to gravity. Injuries from free-falling bullets, which are variously referred to as 'tired bullets,' have been on the rise in recent years due to increasing uncontrolled firearm acquisition.