Shooting a firearm within Kansas City limits is illegal on New Year’s Day and every other day.
Police warn residents not to fire weapons over the holiday. Celebratory gunfire can be deadly. Blair Shanahan-Lane, 11, was killed by a stray bullet on July 4, 2011, outside an east Kansas City home. The shot that killed her was fired into the air some distance away.
Officers will arrest and jail anyone who is caught shooting a firearm into the air. In addition to being deadly, these shots disturb neighborhoods and divert police resources away from other crimes. During the last New Year’s holiday, Kansas City Police received 149 sounds of shots calls from 10 p.m. Dec. 31, 2011, to 5 a.m. Jan. 1, 2012.
“Firing a gun in city limits is against the law 365 days a year, and that includes New Year’s Eve,” Chief Darryl Forté said. “Residents should be able to celebrate the holiday safely and not be in fear of being struck by a stray bullet. Officers will be on the lookout for this illegal gunfire and will arrest perpetrators.”
