Celebratory New Year's gunfire injures 2 in Houston area

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two people were injured by celebratory gunfire overnight, police said.

One man, Jorge Leal, said he and his wife were hosting a neighborhood party last night when his friend Pedro was hit.

He and his friend were standing near the street when the clock hit midnight - and Pedro was hit by a bullet.

"[He] said, 'Hey, I feel something', and I said, 'What happened'," Leal said. "He took off his shirt and he was hit... I saw the bullet right there, there was a hole right here."

Several people were injured by celebratory gunfire overnight, police said.

Pedro was bleeding badly and they called 911, Leal said.

"I was nervous because my kids were outside, everybody was outside," Leal said.

The bullet narrowly missed his friend's heart, Leal said. Pedro was released from the hospital this morning.

It's not the only injury from celebratory gunfire. A state representative from Hidalgo County was injured overnight. He is doing okay, officials said.