WESLACO – Police are warning local residents to put their guns away during holiday celebrations after a stray bullet hit a 5-year-old girl.

The sheriff’s department responded to the Harlingen home on Christmas Day when the bullet pierced through a hole in the ceiling.

We're told the bullet was just inches away from possibly taking her life.

"If you discharge a firearm in the air, you know what goes up must come down. The projectile could come down, strike a person, hurt somebody,” explains Harlingen Police Department Commander John Parish.

KRGV’s John Paul Barajas explains law enforcement across the Rio Grande Valley want to make sure a celebration doesn't turn into a crime scene.

Watch the video above for the full story.