stray bullets
Misfired gunshot remnants
Stray bullets are bullets that miss their intended target or come from gunfire elsewhere, striking unintended people or objects.
The term appears frequently in news reports about bystanders injured or killed by gunfire they had nothing to do with: A stray bullet came through the window and killed a sleeping child.
The phrase evokes random urban violence and its innocent victims.
- ricochetAngled deflection off surface
- gunfireDischarge of weapons
- bangSudden loud noise
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- live ammunitionProjectiles meant to harm
accidental · casualty · whizz · fatality · shrapnel · gunshot · collateral damage · victim · shooting victim · projectile · flying debris · scream · crossfire · caught in crossfire · duck · thud · injuries · bystander