Shannon's law (Arizona)

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Shannon's law refers to specific changes in Arizona statutes, enacted in 2000, making it a felony offense to discharge firearms randomly into the air, resulting in injury or death.

[edit] History

Shannon's law is named after Shannon Smith, a fourteen year old Phoenix girl killed by a stray bullet in June 1999. Smith's parents, after being informed that the alleged assailant's activity constituted, at most, a misdemeanor offense, advocated stronger penalties, to prevent future tragedies of this kind.

Their campaign took them all over Arizona, and their efforts were supported by city councils of large Arizona cities such as Tucson. Then-Governor Jane Hull also joined them in their cause. After the Arizona legislature failed to pass the law twice in 1999, it finally received both state senate and state house approval in April, 2000, and was enacted in that July. Many groups, such as NRA, and gun right advocates, protested the law before it was approved and enforced.

[edit] Current

Violation of Shannon's law is defined as a felony offense in Arizona. However, as with most felony offenses in U.S. jurisdictions, a person charged with this offense can strike a plea bargain with prosecutors, and may be eligible for only a misdemeanor conviction.

On December 31, 2003, police in the city of Glendale began using equipment which alerted them to the location from which a shot was fired. As random discharge of firearms are common in some areas of the U.S. on New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, and other holidays, four arrests of Shannon's law violators were made that night, and it is expected that more Arizona police departments will receive similar equipment.