KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Officials with Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson County joined together on Wednesday to ask the public to refrain from celebrating this Fourth of July with firearms.
It's the first Fourth of July that Blair's Law is in effect in Missouri. It creates tougher penalties for celebratory gunfire.
The law was named after 11-year-old Blair Shanahan-Lane. She was struck by celebratory gunfire in Kansas City on July 4, 2011, and died a day later.
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"I’ll just keep it simple as this: Don’t shoot your guns, don’t shoot them in the air, it’s not fun, you will be investigated, you will be charged and you will be prosecuted," KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
Officers with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department witnessed a man fire multiple rounds from his gun into the air in the early morning of June 22 in the city's 18th & Vine District, according to court documents. The incident sent multiple people running, police say.
A day later, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office announced Leonard Holman Jr. was charged with Blair's Law in addition to a charge related to resisting or interfering with arrest.
Officials used that incident as an example of the consequences of firing shots into the air on Wednesday. Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said Holman could face up to one year in jail.
“Laws really don’t have much weight as a deterrent if the community is not aware of what consequences can be imposed," Johnson said.
For the first Blair's Law offense, an individual can face up to one year in jail and $2,000 in fines. Subsequently, repeat offenders could face up to four years in prison. After the third offense, individuals could be sentenced to seven years, according to Johnson.
Blair's Law violations that result in death or injury call for harsher consequences.
Since Blair's Law went into effect on July 9, 2024, Jackson County has charged 23 people with the crime.
KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said the department is actively investigating 10 cases related to Blair's Law. She said 17 individuals who recklessly fired shots in the air have been charged in both Jackson and Clay counties.
"Celebratory gunfire is a threat to all of us," Graves said at the Wednesday press conference. "Right here, where we are standing, we had an officer struck by celebratory gunfire right there on the steps of our police headquarters after a Super Bowl win. It can happen anywhere in any part of our city."
Johnson and Lucas echoed each other, repeating the fact that "what goes up must come down."
"We are all bracing for impact," Johnson said.
Graves said KCPD will patrol on the upcoming holiday with a focus on celebratory gunfire.
Officials are asking for witnesses to help.
"When celebratory or reckless gunfire is happening, we need you to preserve your Ring camera footage, we need you to preserve your cell phone camera footage, we need you to call the police every single time, no matter how long you have to wait," Johnson said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
