CNN
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Mysterious possible drone sightings on the East Coast have prompted civilians and some politicians to shoot down the unidentified plane.

But shooting at drones is dangerous and illegal — and can have unintended consequences, according to federal officials and experts.

The possible drone sightings that began in New Jersey in November have sparked concern and concern, putting pressure on federal authorities to provide more information. Residents across the Garden State have reported sightings almost every night since then, New Jersey Republican Assembly member Paul Kanitra told CNN, and sightings have also been reported in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“While I understand the frustration that mysterious drones can cause, there are significant risks in taking matters into private hands and firing at drones,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of Axon, a maker of anti-drone technology .

Shooting down a drone could essentially “turn it into a missile,” Smith said, and large drones crashing on land could cause “severe property damage and injuries.”

The risks of uncontrolled drone crashes could “make the situation far more dangerous than the drones themselves,” Smith said.

Smith’s comments echo those of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday that attempting to shoot possible drones out of the sky would be “inherently dangerous.”

Mayorkas and FBI officials have said they believe many of the suspected drone sightings are actually manned aircraft misidentified by civilians and that they have no evidence of a threat or foreign involvement.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which registers and regulates drones among other aircraft, told CNN in an email on Sunday that private shootings at aircraft, including drones, “pose a significant safety risk.”

“An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash and cause damage to persons or property on the ground, or collide with other objects in the air,” an agency spokesman wrote.

Smith, the Axon CEO, also said that if “drone shooting down becomes normalized, it risks spiraling out of control.”

“Local people may not know which drones are permitted, such as first responder drones operated by local police or even delivery drones from companies like Amazon,” he said. “Without appropriate identification systems, the potential for chaos is enormous.”

Additionally, shooting at “small, dark objects like drones in the night sky” could cause accidental damage, according to Vijay Kumar, dean of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kumar, whose work includes researching drones and flying robots, told CNN that civilians attempting to shoot at what they believe are drones could result in “misfires, stray bullets or accidents, potentially leading to dangerous consequences, that go far beyond the intended action.”

For example, a drone shot down over a forest could start a wildfire, he said.

Additionally, people can accidentally damage drones for important purposes: Some drones are used by emergency services such as firefighters, search and rescue teams, and law enforcement.

The fear and concern about drones, Kumar said, stems from their association with “science fiction-like scenarios where machines are autonomous, a concept that many find disturbing.”

“They are also related to military operations, terrorism or espionage,” he said. “Drones equipped with cameras and other sensors raise fears of surveillance or questions about privacy.”

But images of reported drone sightings show aircraft operating “with running lights visible, suggesting they are following rules,” Kumar added, saying most images he had seen appeared to show aircraft registered with the FAA and would be operated legally.

Shooting at aircraft – be they drones or manned aircraft – is not only dangerous, but also illegal throughout the country.

“Firing a gun at what a person perceives as a drone is a terrible idea for countless reasons,” Andrew Stengel, a lawyer and former New York prosecutor, told CNN. “One of them is that there could be serious criminal consequences.”

It is illegal under federal law to shoot at an aircraft, the FAA told CNN via email on Sunday.

“Shooting an unmanned aircraft could result in a civil penalty from the FAA and/or criminal charges from federal, state or local law enforcement,” the agency said.

Federal law requires anyone who “ignites, damages, destroys, disables, or destroys aircraft” in U.S. airspace to be punished with fines or up to 20 years in prison.

In New York, Penal Law 265.35 prohibits firing a firearm at aircraft. The crime can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 7 years if it endangers a person’s life.

Stengel said people who attempt to shoot at a possible drone could also be charged with reckless endangerment – which can be either a misdemeanor or a felony – and criminal mischief if they cause damage to a lawfully operating aircraft.

“If you hit a device, a drone or whatever, and it hurts someone, you could kill them,” he added.

“Whether it’s endangering people’s physical safety or damaging their property, firing a weapon at a drone is a terrible idea,” he said.

And even less aggressive methods of disrupting aircraft are illegal. The FAA also told CNN that it received multiple laser reports from pilots in the airspace of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. They did not say whether the reports were directly related to the possible drone sightings.

Shining a laser at an aircraft is illegal under federal law. High-power lasers can “completely disable pilots trying to fly safely to their destination, potentially carrying hundreds of passengers,” the agency says on its website.

Despite the dangers and legal consequences of shooting at aircraft, calls to shoot down possible drones are coming from official sources, including the president-elect.

“Mysterious drone sightings across the country. Can this really happen without our government’s knowledge? I do not believe that! Inform the public, now. Otherwise shoot her down!!!” Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Thursday the plane “should be shot down if necessary because it is flying over sensitive areas.” There have been some sightings over military bases as well reported to critical infrastructure locations.

Similarly, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican, has said he is working on legislation that would give local law enforcement jurisdiction over drones, including the ability to shoot them down at their discretion, according to CNN Daughter WABC.

When asked about Trump’s post, Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday: “Our powers are limited. We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that and outside of our department, but we also need an expansion of those agencies.”

The Department of Homeland Security is authorized by the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 to deal with UAS – unmanned aircraft systems.

Ryan Herd, the mayor of Pequannock Township, New Jersey, told CNN on Saturday that he supports launching the drones over water – but not over land, because he believes it would be too risky.

“God forbid one of those car-sized drones crashes into your neighbor’s house and kills everyone,” he said.

Instead, he suggested that officials focus on documenting the plane. “Let’s focus on getting the best pictures possible, video and audio,” he said.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which she said would “give New York and its colleagues the authority and resources necessary to to respond to circumstances like… we face today.”

The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, says it would allow the FAA to “seize, exercise control over, or otherwise seize an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.”

A source familiar with the nationwide investigation previously told CNN that the government has several strategies that can be used if a drone poses an imminent threat. However, no threats have been identified so far.

Authorities have a number of technical options to try to “defeat” a drone, including jamming a signal, separating it from the operator or “hijacking” it remotely, but each option can pose numerous risks, so the source.

“Blowing it out is a last resort,” the source said.