[AndyTheBear]

My understanding from videos of experiments on falling bullets was that a bullet dropping straight down at terminal velocity is not likely to cause much of a wound. However a bullet that is fired in an 45 degree arc or the like could be rather deadly as it still has some of its faster than terminal velocity force in the horizontal direction and is more likely to be spinning like a football correctly thrown through the air rather than tumbling around like a falling bullet.

So if it punctured the poor child's leg then perhaps it was not so much of a falling bullet as a stray bullet.

[Bounced2X]

My understanding from videos of experiments on falling bullets....

That lines up with what I've read. Still wouldn't want to under one.

[Magnum44]

My understanding from videos of experiments on falling bullets was that a bullet dropping straight down at terminal velocity is not likely to cause much of a wound. However a bullet that is fired in an 45 degree arc or the like could be rather deadly

Your understanding is correct. The vertical velocity goes to zero on the way up and is limited by drag on the way back down. The horizontal velocity sees some drag but not enough to really slow it to non-lethal in the few seconds its flying.

If a true vertical shot could be lethal, then you would hear all sorts of stories about people being killed by people tossing pennies off the top of the empire state building and such.

[Scrambler Bob]

rather than tumbling around like a falling bullet.
= = =

What I recall reading is that a bullet fired straight up stops climbing, but continues to spin.

Then falls backwards, butt first, still spinning.