Celebratory Gunshots Senate Bill Approved by Lawmakers in Missouri nearly after a Decade of Tragic Incident

Jefferson City, MO: Legislation in the Missouri Capitol is advancing to increase punishment for anyone who discharge celebratory gunshots.

In 2011, bullets were fired on July 4, resulting in the death of 11-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane. Blair’s mother, Michele Shanahan DeMoss, has been visiting Jefferson City to urge lawmakers to enhance the state’s legislation. After almost 13 years, the Senate adopted the law on Thursday.

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer stated that Blair’s Law aims to address situations where someone is shooting a firearm carelessly and indiscriminately into the air, leading to the death of another person.

After advocating for stricter rules for years, Michele believed the battle was finished last summer, until she got a phone call from Luetkemeyer.

Gov. Mike Parson declared in July his veto of a comprehensive crime law that encompassed Blair’s Law. Parson mentioned in a post-veto interview that his disagreement was not with Blair’s proposal but with a specific element related to reparations.

In 2011, Blair’s mother witnessed her 11-year-old daughter being fatally shot by a stray gunshot in Kansas City. The bullet went the length of three football fields before striking Blair. Four individuals were subsequently apprehended and accused of negligently discharging a firearm into a nearby body of water. Aaron Sullivan, aged 50, was briefly incarcerated following a manslaughter conviction.

According to Blair’s Law, it is illegal to shoot a gun with criminal negligence within city borders, constituting the offense of unauthorized discharge of a firearm. One of the numerous provisions in Luetkemeyer’s comprehensive crime package is Senate Bill 754.