The Hunger Games: Why does Snow shoot into the trees when Lucy flees?

In the prequel to The Hunger Games series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, we explore the younger years of the franchise's main antagonist, President Coriolanus Snow. Set in the aftermath of the Civil War, the story follows Snow's involvement in the 10th Annual Hunger Games as a student mentor, where he is paired with the female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird.Throughout the novel, Snow's character is developed, and we witness the formation of a dystopian regime. Snow, who hails from a once-prosperous but now destitute family, sees the mentorship program as an opportunity to restore his family's wealth. However, when he discovers that he has been paired with Lucy Gray, a tribute from the poorest district, he grows anxious.During the training and preparation for the games, Snow secretly begins feeding Lucy to ensure she doesn't weaken before the competition. This act of compassion garners the attention of other tributes and their mentors, including Sejanus Plinth, a District sympathizer. Together, they quietly start providing food for their respective tributes.As the games approach, Snow presents an idea to the Head Game Maker, Volumnia Gaul, for a betting and sponsorship program to support the tributes. This idea would later become instrumental in the modern games. However, Gaul becomes suspicious of Snow's involvement in another incident and tests him by dropping his essay into a tank of genetically modified snakes. Snow manages to retrieve the pages, realizing that the snakes can identify his scent. Clemensia, his essay partner, is bitten by the snakes, confirming Snow's fears.The games finally commence, with most tributes quickly succumbing to starvation, sickness, and weakness. Lucy, however, chooses to hide in dark spots across the arena to avoid direct confrontation with the stronger tributes. Snow witnesses the rebellion of Sejanus, who enters the arena to protest against the Capitol. Snow convinces him to leave, as he believes Sejanus can make a more significant impact alive.Back in the Capitol, Snow realizes that the snakes used against Clemensia can be conditioned to associate Lucy's scent with safety. He drops a cloth with her scent into the tank, and when the snakes are released into the arena, they embrace Lucy instead of attacking her. After several days, Lucy becomes the winner of the Hunger Games.Snow's involvement in helping his tribute is uncovered, and he is forced to become a Peacekeeper in District 12, far from the retribution he had hoped for. However, he finds solace in reuniting with Lucy and develops feelings for her. Snow discovers a plot by Sejanus to help District residents escape to the North, a region believed to be beyond Panem's control. Snow secretly records the evidence and sends it to Dr. Gaul.Tragedy strikes when the plot is jeopardized, and Snow and Spruce, the fellow rebel, are forced to kill the Mayor's daughter and another citizen to protect their plan. Sejanus is executed for treason, leaving Snow and Lucy as the remaining witnesses. In the chaos that follows, Lucy decides to leave for the North, and Snow, torn between loyalty and self-preservation, contemplates betraying her.In a moment of uncertainty, Lucy flees into the forest, and Snow, fearing she may expose him, shoots into the trees hoping to kill her. Unsure of whether he struck her or not, Snow disposes of the evidence and returns to District 12. He is then transported to the Capitol, where Dr. Gaul praises him for his information on the plot and reveals that she orchestrated his time in District 12 to make him confront the reality of Panem's society. Snow accepts his position to train as an officer and is embraced by Sejanus's unsuspecting father.The novel ends with a revelation that the Hunger Games were initially conceived as a cruel school project by Snow's father and Dean Highbottom. Snow poisons Highbottom and goes on to become a Game Maker, implementing his own ideas into the games. The fate of Lucy Gray remains unknown, leaving readers to speculate whether she escaped or died that day in the forest.As the forthcoming film adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes receives high praise, fans eagerly anticipate seeing how the story unfolds on the big screen. With a talented cast and potentially faithful adaptation, moviegoers will witness the intricate character development, intense moments of tension, and the moral complexities that arise in Snow's journey to power.In conclusion, the reason Snow shoots into the trees when Lucy flees in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is rooted in his inner conflict. Faced with the choice between loyalty to Lucy and his own self-preservation, Snow decides to eliminate the perceived threat she poses to his future. However, the outcome remains uncertain, leaving readers and viewers to ponder the ultimate fate of Lucy Gray and the repercussions of Snow's actions.