History Main / ShutUpGunshot

* In ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse''.

See also NoisyShutUp, of which this a very common variant. Contrast with FiringInTheAirAlot and ShoutingShooter. Possibly a SubTrope of ThreateningMediator.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Night Terrors", the Enterprise's bartender, Guinan, is able to prevent a brawl in the saloon by firing her {{Frickin Laser Beam|s}} at the ceiling, causing a small explosion and making everyone stare at her in shock.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit'': Lord Victor Quartermaine wishes to announce to the vegetable festival attendees that he intends to kill the were-rabbit, and that he has three golden bullets (the creature's only weakness). But everyone is too busy panicking to listen to him, so he fires into the air to get their attention. And then he facepalms, as he realizes he just wasted one of the golden bullets.

->''Proceedings:''
->''Colonel Kasteen called the meeting to order. Then she called it to order again. Major Broklaw fired his bolt pistol into the ceiling, and the meeting quickly came to order.''

[[folder:{{Film}} - Animated]]

[[folder:{{Film}} - Live Action]]

* ''Film/{{Idiocracy}}'' features President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho firing a M249 SAW machine gun in the air during the middle of an Emergency Presidential koAddress to shut up his critics.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

* In [[''Series/Andromeda'' Andromeda's]] season 5 episode "What Will Be Was Not" [[BarBrawl a fight breaks out at Seamus Harper's bar]], which he ends by firing a large gun into the ceiling. Followed by that section of the ceiling landing on his head and everyone laughing at him.

[[folder:{{Theatre}}]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' episode "Vision Quest", Archer fires his gun into the ceiling of the elevator when the others panic and start fighting. RealityEnsues due to the loud noise and confined space.
* ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} This Is America, Charlie Brown]]'': In "The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad", one of the saloon patrons does this when harmonica player Spike gets carried away with his dancing.

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', Two-Face fires one of his guns to "bring the court to order" when he puts Catwoman on trial.

->''"Proceedings":''
->''"Colonel Kasteen called the meeting to order. Then she called it to order again. Major Broklaw fired his bolt pistol into the ceiling, and the meeting quickly came to order."''

->''"Proceedings":
->"Colonel Kasteen called the meeting to order. Then she called it to order again. Major Broklaw fired his bolt pistol into the ceiling, and the meeting quickly came to order."''

->''"Proceedings":''

* In the Creator/MichaelConnelly book ''A Darkness More Than Night'', the trial judge, Judge "Shootin'" Houghton, is said to have done this during a precious trial when several gang members' families began to get unruly in the courtroom following a guilty verdict. He won't let the maintenance crews patch the bullet hole in the ceiling, either. Rumor has it that he still carries his gun under his robes from time to time, and at one point Harry Bosch suspects that he went to get it during a recess in the trial when things are starting to get heated.

* Happens frequently through the ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films, especially the Brethren Court meeting in ''At World's End'', as pirates are both extremely contentious and heavily armed.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Night Terrors", the Enterprise's bartender, Guinan, is able to prevent a brawl in the saloon by firing her {{Frickin Laser Beam|s}} at the ceiling.

* Happens frequently through the ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films, especially the Brethren Court meeting in At World's End, as pirates are both extremely contentious and heavily armed.

* The minutes of a war council meeting in 'Literature/CiaphasCain: Caves of Ice include a line about how some of the participants weren't paying attention to Col. Kasteen calling the meeting to order. Not until Maj. Broklaw fired his bolter into the ceiling, anyway. Given a BrickJoke later when Cain walks in and wonders why there's so many holes in the ceiling.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Animated]]

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live Action]]

[[AC:FanWorks]]
* Part two of ''Fanfic/PeaceForgedInFire'' opens with Praetor Velal of the Romulan Star Empire about to storm out of a peace negotiation with the Romulan Republic after an attack on Imperial forces by [[spoiler:[[StateSec Tal Shiar]] pretending to be]] Republic ships. Lieutenant Commander Jaleh Khoroushi, the moderator, responds by blowing up a light fixture with her phaser and screaming at him to sit down long enough for her to look at the evidence.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* The minutes of a war council meeting in 'Literature/CiaphasCain: Caves of Ice include a line about how some of the participants weren't paying attention to Col. Kasteen calling the meeting to order. Not until Maj. Broklaw fired his bolter into the ceiling, anyway. Given a BrickJoke later when Cain walks in and wonders why there's so many holes in the ceiling.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', Two-Face fires one of his guns to "bring the court to order" when he puts Catwoman on trial.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', Sgt. Calhoun fires her gun in the air to make the Laffy Taffy vines stop making romantic music and hearts around her and Felix.

An argument has broken out (probably in the local saloon), and it might be about to get violent. Voices raise to an unintelligible clamor, and everyone is losing their head. Suddenly a gunshot rings out and everyone is silenced. The crowd stops and looks at the shooter, smoke rising from the barrel of his/her gun, who will then resolve the situation. This is for when a BigShutUp just won't cut it. Alternatively, this could be used to frighten and disperse a hostile crowd, especially if they are unarmed or have never heard a gun before.

* In ''Series/AlienNation'' - Sikes temporarily stops a potential neighbourhood riot triggered by a newcomer family moving into the area by firing a few shots into the air to grab everyone's attention before giving the crowd a TheReasonYouSuck speech and [[ShamingTheMob shaming them into dispersing.]]
* In the early ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E04AManAlone A Man Alone]]", a mob gathers outside Odo's office after the changeling is implicated in a murder. One of the Starfleet security officers fires his phaser into the air a couple times to get their attention.
* ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Night Terrors", the Enterprise's bartender Guinan is able to prevent a brawl in the saloon by firing her Frickin Laser Beam at the ceiling.

* In ''WreckItRalph'', Sgt. Calhoun fires her gun in the air to make the Laffy Taffy vines stop making romantic music and hearts around her and Felix.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' episode "Vision Quest Archer fires his gun into the ceiling of the elevator when the others panic and start fighting. RealityEnsues due to the loud noise and confined space.

->"Colonel Kasteen called the meeting to order. Then she called it to order again. Major Broklaw fired his bolt pistol into the ceiling, and the meeting quickly came to order.\"\'\'

An argument has broken out (probably in the local saloon), and it might be about to get violent. Voices raise to an unintelligible clamor, and everyone is losing their head. Suddenly a gunshot rings out and everyone is silenced. The crowd stops and looks at the shooter, smoke rising from the barrel of his/her gun, who will then resolve the situation. This is for when a BigShutUp just won\'t cut it. Alternatively, this could be used to frighten and disperse a hostile crowd, especially if they are unarmed or have never heard a gun before.

* In 'WreckItRalph'', Sgt. Calhoun fires her gun in the air to make the Laffy Taffy vines stop making romantic music and hearts around her and Felix.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' episode "Vision Quest, Archer fires his gun into the ceiling of the elevator when the others panic and start fighting. RealityEnsues due to the loud noise and confined space.

* Part two of \'\'Fanfic/PeaceForgedInFire opens with Praetor Velal of the Romulan Star Empire about to storm out of a peace negotiation with the Romulan Republic after an attack on Imperial forces by [[spoiler:[[StateSec Tal Shiar]] pretending to be]] Republic ships. Lieutenant Commander Jaleh Khoroushi, the moderator, responds by blowing up a light fixture with her phaser and screaming at him to sit down long enough for her to look at the evidence.

* The minutes of a war council meeting in 'Literature/CiaphasCain: Caves of Ice include a line about how some of the participants weren\'t paying attention to Col. Kasteen calling the meeting to order. Not until Maj. Broklaw fired his bolter into the ceiling, anyway. Given a BrickJoke later when Cain walks in and wonders why there's so many holes in the ceiling.

* ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In \"Night Terrors, the Enterprise\'s bartender Guinan is able to prevent a brawl in the saloon by firing her Frickin Laser Beam at the ceiling.

* In \'\'Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}\'\', when a fight breaks out during \"The Farmer and the Cowman,\" Aunt Eller seizes a gun and fires it to make them stop.

* In \'\'WreckItRalph'', Sgt. Calhoun fires her gun in the air to make the Laffy Taffy vines stop making romantic music and hearts around her and Felix.
* In the \'\'WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}\'\' episode \"Vision Quest\", Archer fires his gun into the ceiling of the elevator when the others panic and start fighting. RealityEnsues due to the loud noise and confined space.

* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', Two-Face fires one of his guns to "bring the court to order\" when he puts Catwoman on trial.

* \'\'Film/{{Idiocracy}}'' features President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho firing a M249 SAW machine gun in the air during the middle of an Emergency Presidential koAddress to shut up his critics.
* Happens frequently through the \'\'PiratesOfTheCaribbean\'\' films, especially the Brethren Court meeting in At World\'s End, as pirates are both extremely contentious and heavily armed.
* Parodied in \'\'Film/PoliceAcademy\'\'. During the riot, Mahoney, Jones, and Martin take refuge in Lassard\'s police car. The rioters gang up on the car and try to get at them and Lassard warns them to back away over the PA system. His words go unheeded. Jones asks for the microphone and makes machine gun noises over the PA system. Everybody runs.
* In \'\'Film/RoadHouse\'\', Brad Wesley calls off his henchmen in a bar fight by firing a gun into the ceiling.

* In \'\'WreckItRalph\'\', Sgt. Calhoun fires her gun in the air to make the Laffy Taffy vines stop making romantic music and hearts around her and Felix.

* In \'\'VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity\'\', Two-Face fires one of his guns to \"bring the court to order\" when he puts Catwoman on trial.

* \'\'Film/{{Idiocracy}}'' features President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho firing a M249 SAW machine gun in the air during the middle of an Emergency Presidential Address to shut up his critics.

* \'\'Film/StandByMe\'\': At the climax of the film, Gordie breaks up an argument by firing a handgun into the air.
* In \'\'Film/TomAndHuck\'\', Judge Thatcher fires a shotgun in the air in order to get the townspeople to be quiet when they tried to hang Muff Potter.

* Part two of \'\'Fanfic/PeaceForgedInFire\'\' opens with Praetor Velal of the Romulan Star Empire about to storm out of a peace negotiation with the Romulan Republic after an attack on Imperial forces by [[spoiler:[[StateSec Tal Shiar]] pretending to be]] Republic ships. Lieutenant Commander Jaleh Khoroushi, the moderator, responds by blowing up a light fixture with her phaser and screaming at him to sit down long enough for her to look at the evidence.

->\'\'\"Colonel Kasteen called the meeting to order. Then she called it to order again. Major Broklaw fired his bolt pistol into the ceiling, and the meeting quickly came to order.\"\'\'

* The minutes of a war council meeting in \'\'Literature/CiaphasCain: Caves of Ice\'\' include a line about how some of the participants weren\'t paying attention to Col. Kasteen calling the meeting to order. Not until Maj. Broklaw fired his bolter into the ceiling, anyway. Given a BrickJoke later when Cain walks in and wonders why there\'s so many holes in the ceiling.

* Clarke stops a flurry of arguments about what to do now that members of the camp are getting sick really quickly with a gunshot in the air on \'\'Series/{{The 100}}.\'\'
* In \'\'Series/AlienNation\'\' - Sikes temporarily stops a potential neighbourhood riot triggered by a newcomer family moving into the area by firing a few shots into the air to grab everyone\'s attention before giving the crowd a TheReasonYouSuck speech and [[ShamingTheMob shaming them into dispersing.]]
* In the early \'\'Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine\'\' episode \"[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E04AManAlone A Man Alone]]\", a mob gathers outside Odo\'s office after the changeling is implicated in a murder. One of the Starfleet security officers fires his phaser into the air a couple times to get their attention.
* \'\'StarTrekTheNextGeneration\'\': In \"Night Terrors\", the Enterprise\'s bartender Guinan is able to prevent a brawl in the saloon by firing her Frickin\' Laser Beam at the ceiling.

->\'\'\"Proceedings:\'\'

-->-- \'\'Literature/CiaphasCain: Caves of Ice\'\'

* In \'\'Film/SeventyOne\'\', one of the soldiers shoots into the air when the angry mob becomes violent. Somewhat subverted in that it only causes the situation to escalate.
* In \'\'Film/BlackHawkDown\'\', Mike Durant is saved from a Somali mob by Aidid\'s Dragon when he fires his AK into the air to stop them from (further) savaging him, and then announces that Aidid has claimed Durant as his prisoner, who, as such, is not to come to further harm. The crowd backs off.
* In \'\'Film/BlazingSaddles\'\', Taggart shoots into the air twice to stop Lyle and the other white railroad workers when they got carried away, singing \"Camptown Ladies\".
* \'\'Film/{{Idiocracy}}\'\' features President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho firing a M249 SAW machine gun in the air during the middle of an Emergency Presidential Address to shut up his critics.