Chief Graves, City Leaders Warn Against Celebratory Gunfire

Image of Chief Stacey Graves at July 2 news conference

At a news conference at police headquarters on July 2, Chief Stacey Graves, joined by Mayor Quinton Lucas, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson, and Representative Mark Sharp, urged Kansas City residents not to shoot guns into the air to celebrate the July 4th holiday.

“KCPD will be out patrolling on Friday, July 4th, with a keen focus on those who are discharging firearms,” Graves said. “You will be arrested and you will be charged. If you witness celebratory gunfire, call 911. Talk to your friends and family and your neighbors about not shooting a firearm in celebration or otherwise.”

Indiscriminate gunfire kills and injures people. It damages homes and property. It scares and traumatizes neighbors.

Blair’s Law, named after Blair Shanahan Lane, an 11-year-old girl killed by celebratory gunfire in 2011, carries stricter state penalties for this crime. Since its enactment last year, KCPD has submitted 27 cases for violations of Blair’s Law. Of these, 17 individuals are now facing charges, and 10 remain under active investigation.