Once again this Christmas season, civic organizations and government officials join the early public education campaign against revelers shooting bullets into the air.

The campaign announced this week is titled  "No A Bullet into the Air this 2010 ".

Police statistics indicate that in 2008 Puerto Rico had 807 shooting deaths and another 731 murders in 2007.  

As of Nov.15, of this year, 793 had died of shotgun incidents, one of the bloodiest occurring  last October with the slaughter of five people in Toa Baja.

"Following the overwhelming success of the campaign last year, when no shootings in to the air were reported, we will follow up this year with civic awareness promotions at public housing and other communities and through the media," said Representative Luis León Rodríguez. "We don't want more bullets into the air, not just these holidays, but throughout the year."

The campaign will kick off with a car caravan from Ponce on  Dec. 4 and will move on along the towns of Peñuelas, Camuy and end in Canóvanas.

"All Puerto Ricans live burdened by rampant crime that has hit close to our homes," said  León Rodríguez, who is from Ponce.

 # # #