Accra: A Ghanaian man, Charles McCarthy, has narrowly escaped death after a stray bullet pierced through the roof of his house and struck his laptop while he was seated in his room at night. Sharing his experience in a Facebook post on May 3, 2026, Charles described the incident as a near-death experience and linked it to alleged celebratory gunfire.
According to Ghana Web, the situation could have been fatal if his position had been slightly different, adding that the stray bullet could have hit his skull but instead struck his laptop. Charles expressed his relief, stating, "As I stared at the twisted metal and glass, the chilling realisation set in: had I been leaning a few inches to the left, that bullet would have entered my skull. I am lucky. My laptop can be replaced. But every year, families across our country are not so fortunate. They lose children, parents, and neighbors to a 'celebration' they weren't even part of."
Following the incident, he called for stricter enforcement of laws against celebratory gunfire, stressing that the current approach is not enough. "Currently, while our laws cover the 'unlawful discharge of firearms,' there is a lack of specific, high-profile enforcement and public education regarding celebratory gunfire. We need a legislative and traditional shift that treats the reckless firing of weapons into the air not as a cultural quirk, but as attempted manslaughter," he indicated.
He has also urged authorities and traditional leaders to take decisive action to address the issue of firing muskets during celebratory events. "I am calling on the Ministry of the Interior, the Ghana Police Service, and our traditional authorities to explicitly criminalise the act, enforce accountability, and intensify public awareness. We cannot continue to allow 'joy' to be measured by the risk to human life. My shattered laptop screen is a warning. Next time, it could be a life," he concluded.