Random gunfire kills

Did you know that randomly firing a weapon into the air is a felony offense in Arizona?

The law, enacted in July 2000, is called Shannon’s Law, named after 14-year-old Shannon Smith, an award-winning athlete and honor student who had just graduated from eighth grade. She was killed by a stray bullet in June 1999 while standing in her central Phoenix backyard, talking on the phone with a friend. The bullet struck her head, and she died instantly.

The Maricopa Police Department wishes to remind everyone to have a safe and happy New Year’s celebration by choosing not to fire guns into the air. Although it is legal to possess a firearm, randomly shooting is a violation of both state law (ARS 13-3107) and Maricopa City Code (MCC 10-1-18A1).

If anyone witnesses or hears random gunfire, they should report this to the police immediately.

Also, on Dec. 1, 2010, the Arizona Legislature made it legal to buy and possess fireworks in the state of Arizona. As a reminder, it is legal to possess fireworks; however, Maricopa City Code prohibits the use of fireworks within the city limits. (MCC 10-1-6A)

Numbers you should have available:

Police Emergency (crime in progress)    9-1-1
Police non-emergency (crime not in progress)  520-866-5111
MPD Silent Witness Hotline (24 recorded message) 520-316-6900

MPD Secret Text Line (Text MPD and your crime information to 274637)

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