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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280 — Willfully discharging firearms in public places

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 4: Dangerous Use of Firearms or Other Weapons, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
A. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm in any street in a city or town, or in any place of public business or place of public gathering, and such conduct results in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony. If such conduct does not result in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. B. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon the buildings and grounds of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in a program or curriculum sponsored by or conducted with permission of a public, private or religious school. C. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon any public property within 1,000 feet of the property line of any public, private or religious elementary, middle or high school property he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony, unless he is engaged in lawful hunting. D. This section shall not apply to any law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law. E. Nothing in this statute shall preclude the Commonwealth from electing to prosecute under any other applicable provision of law instead of this section.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is willfully discharging firearms in public places a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: willfully discharging firearms in public places ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 4 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280.

Discharging firearm in public place resulting in bodily injury: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280A) · Discharging firearm in public place without bodily injury: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280A) · Discharging firearm on school grounds: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280B) · Discharging firearm within 1,000 feet of school property: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280C)

Which Virginia statute covers willfully discharging firearms in public places?

Willfully discharging firearms in public places is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-280 (Willfully discharging firearms in public places).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.