Fitch urges passage of gun crime bills targeting juvenile offenders, gang activity
JACKSON, Miss. — Attorney General Lynn Fitch urged lawmakers to approve legislation this month that would increase penalties for certain firearm-related crimes involving minors and crack down on gang activity across the state.
Fitch called on the Legislature to pass House Bill 1165 and Senate Bill 2710, saying the measures would give circuit courts original jurisdiction over certain firearm-related offenses committed by minors, increase penalties for the transfer of stolen firearms and create a new criminal penalty for shooting a firearm into a group.
The proposals have been endorsed by the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association and the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, law enforcement groups that routinely support tougher criminal statutes, Fitch said.
Fitch said the legislation aims to curb gang recruitment of minors and ensure penalties match the severity of crimes. “There are more than 200 gangs in Mississippi, and they recruit minors to do a lot of their dirty work, knowing that punishment is often disproportionate to the severity of the crime,” she said in a newsletter to supporters. Lawmakers are considering the measures during the current legislative session.
Proponents say the bills would make juvenile recruitment less attractive to gangs and help remove violent offenders from the streets. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
