Offer hugs, not gunfire

Hug a loved one this New Year’s Eve instead of firing a gun into the air.

That’s the message Detroit Police and the Neighborhood Services Organization/Youth Initiatives Project are sending as they plan their fifth annual Hugs, Not Bullets antigun violence news conference.

"Every year, innocent victims are injured or killed by falling bulleys that were merrily fired into the air and intended to celebrate this special moment," the Detroit Police Department said in a statement.

The news conference is 10 a.m. Tuesday in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue at Woodward and Jefferson.

By Ben Schmitt