Officials warn against shooting down drones as more sightings are reported

It’s been a month since the mysterious drones were first spotted over parts of New Jersey, and the US government has yet to provide definitive answers about their origins, although sightings have spread to other states.

States including Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Maryland have also reported sightings of large drones in the sky and speculation is pointing to foreign government surveillance, UFOs, or even aircraft that aren’t actually drones.

Lawmakers in states including New York plan to deploy drone detection technology which can help avoid incidents such as airport closures, as happened on December 13 at Stewart Airport in New York and at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio early on December 14th.

Meanwhile, even as President-elect Donald Trump urges the government to shoot drones out of the skyauthorities are warning citizens not to take drone shootings into their own hands. The The Federal Aviation Administration has warned that taking a page from Ukraine and shooting down drones can turn the aircraft into dangerous projectiles that can damage property and people.

Despite claims that drones have so far not posed a safety threat, those who have lived with drone sightings for weeks where the sightings began — in New Jersey — have expressed concern that not enough information is being shared with the public.

“I think this is completely unacceptable. It just generates more chaos and more people are worried,” Howell, New Jersey resident Rami Makari, told The New York Times.