Missouri Laws 577.068 – Failure to report a shooting — penalties
1. A person commits the offense of failure to report a shooting when:
(1) Being in possession of a firearm or projectile weapon as defined in section 571.010, he or she discharges such firearm or projectile weapon and causes injury or death to another person; and
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class E felony | up to 4 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 577.068
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) Knowing that he or she has caused such injury or death, fails to report such shooting to a law enforcement officer. If no such officer is in the vicinity where the shooting occurs, the person must provide such information to the nearest law enforcement agency.
2. Failure to report a shooting is:
(1) A class A misdemeanor; or
(2) A class E felony if the person has previously been found guilty of a violation of this section or any offense committed in another jurisdiction which, if committed in this state, would be a violation of an offense described in this section.
3. A person is not in violation of this section if he or she fails to report a shooting in order to obtain medical assistance or contact law enforcement authorities to notify them of the shooting, so long as such person returns to the scene of the shooting or otherwise reports the shooting as provided herein within a reasonable time after the shooting.
4. All law enforcement officers and reserve law enforcement officers shall have authority to investigate shootings and arrest a person who violates subsection 1 of this section, except that conservation agents may enforce such provisions as to hunting-related shootings. For the purpose of this section, a “hunting-related shooting” shall be defined as any shooting in which a person is injured as a result of hunting activity that involves the discharge of a hunting weapon.