Celebratory gunfire at New Year’s is stupid. Missouri should make it a felony, too

The new year is always a time for celebration, but that should never include shooting a firearm into the air. Unfortunately, celebratory gunfire has marred New Year’s in Kansas City for decades — a deadly dangerous practice that needs to stop.

A new bill pre-filed ahead of the 2023 Missouri legislative session would make discharging a firearm within or into city limits a felony offense. It has exemptions for shooting weapons in self defense or at gun ranges.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle should ensure that this irresponsible and criminal behavior is met with harsh penalties. This is not a partisan issue — it is a lifesaving one.

State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, introduced House Bill 109 — Blair’s Law — in remembrance of Blair Shanahan Lane, an 11-year-old girl who was mortally wounded when she was struck by a bullet from celebratory gunfire while she played outside on July 4, 2011. One of the men involved in the incident pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and served a prison term.

Indiscriminate and celebratory gunfire are currently Kansas City ordinance violations that can result in a fine or jail time. If someone is struck and killed by this dangerous and irresponsible behavior, it can result in a charge of involuntary manslaughter, a state felony, and prison time.

Lawmakers who have supported Blair’s Law in the past have correctly characterized it as a commonsense approach to responsible gun ownership. It’s a basic tenet of gun safety that nobody should arbitrarily fire a weapon into the air. It’s incredible that you’d even have to explain that to anyone.

And yet every year, especially around July Fourth and New Year’s, Kansas City law enforcement must warn gun owners against celebratory gunfire, even pleading with residents to put their weapons away.

Two years ago, Kansas City public radio reporter Aviva Okeson-Haberman was shot and killed when an apparently indiscriminately fired bullet came through her apartment window.

If people knew this thoughtless act could result in felony charges and prison, maybe they would think twice about doing such a foolish thing.

We note that these crimes would be difficult to prevent or prosecute. But police use gunshot detectors in areas where they know there has been gunfire to assist them in identifying shooters quickly.

“I have lived in other metropolitan areas like Atlanta and Dallas that have high rates of gun ownership, and have never heard the amount of celebratory gunfire I hear in our city, which sometimes sounds like we’re living in a war zone, especially on New Year’s Eve,” Sharp said in his latest legislative update newsletter.

Sharp said he’s pushing for adoption of the law because it’s the right move toward stopping this reckless behavior. He also promised Blair’s mother Michele Shanahan DeMoss, who has previously testified on behalf of the legislation, that he would “not rest until this lifesaving legislation is signed into law.”

There is no reason to delay the passage of Blair’s Law. The Missouri House passed earlier versions of the legislation this year and in 2021, but the state Senate failed to act both years before adjournment.

Yes, it’s hard to get any type of gun-related legislation past the gun rights extremists who dominate the General Assembly. But not even the most conservative, dyed-in-the-wool opponent to gun restriction should favor letting people continue to misguidedly shoot into the air in the name of celebration.

This is easy legislation to pass. Do it for Blair. Do it for Aviva. Do it for their grieving families, and for all of us who grieve with them.