Police Hunting For Reveler Who Killed Tourist

Nobody knows who killed Amy Silberman - maybe not even the killer.

But there are plenty of suspects in the death of the Boston tourist killed by a bullet that dropped from the sky and pierced her skull on New Year’s Eve.

“Everyone that fired a weapon on New Year’s Eve is a suspect - everyone that fired a weapon,” Superintendent of Police Richard Pennington said Monday.

Silberman, 31, was in the French Quarter’s Jackson Square near the Mississippi River at about 11:40 p.m. Saturday, awaiting the New Year’s fireworks display.

Suddenly she fell down. She was taken unconscious to a hospital, where an X-ray showed the bullet in her head. She died Sunday morning.

And police were left with the seemingly impossible task of finding somebody, somewhere who was taking potshots at the clouds.

Police spokesman Lt. Sam Fradella wouldn’t speculate Monday when asked whether it was a question of feet, yards or miles.

But he said the investigation would be helped by authorities in Jefferson Parish, less than a mile from the Quarter across the Mississippi River, and St. Bernard Parish, less than two miles from where the victim fell.

Every year, there are scattered reports in New Orleans and other areas of gunshots fired into the air to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Independence Day and other holidays.

Five injuries last year were attributed to such gunfire and police said three were reported during the New Year’s weekend, despite public warnings that a bullet fired at the clouds returns to Earth with lethal velocity.