PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona Senate panel has advanced a measure changing a landmark 2000 law making random or celebratory gunfire a felony, despite a plea from the aunt of a young Phoenix girl whose death prompted the law.
Republican Rep. Tony Rivero’s House Bill 2287 passed the Government Committee Wednesday on a 4-3 vote, with no Democratic support. It has already passed the House, so Senate approval sends the bill to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk.
Edith Smith’s niece Shannon was killed by a stray bullet in 1999. She said the law has worked well for 17 years and should not be changed.
The changes to “Shannon’s Law” raise the legal standard required to prosecute someone for shooting inside city limits. Rivero says he’s trying to ensure accidental shootings don’t lead to prosecutions.
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