Which states have rejected Shoot First laws?
21 states have rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Alabama has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Alaska has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Arizona has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Arkansas has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
California has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Colorado has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Connecticut has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Delaware has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Florida has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Georgia has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Hawaii has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Idaho has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Illinois has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Indiana has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Iowa has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Kansas has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Kentucky has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Louisiana has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Maine has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Maryland has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Massachusetts has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Michigan has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Minnesota has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Mississippi has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Missouri has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Montana has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Nebraska has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Nevada has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
New Hampshire has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
New Jersey has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
New Mexico has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
New York has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
North Carolina has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
North Dakota has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Ohio has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Oklahoma has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Oregon has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Pennsylvania has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Rhode Island has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
South Carolina has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
South Dakota has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Tennessee has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Texas has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Utah has not rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Vermont has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Virginia has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Washington has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
West Virginia has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Wisconsin has rejected this policy
No Shoot First Law
Wyoming has not rejected this policy
What It Does
These states have refused to enact Shoot First laws, also called Stand Your Ground laws, which allow people to shoot and kill in public even if they can safely walk away from the situation. Traditional self-defense laws allow people to use deadly force in public only in dangerous situations where they can’t easily retreat. But Shoot First encourages avoidable violence and vigilantism. A full description on Shoot First is here.
The Impact
These laws dramatically escalate violence. Shoot First laws are associated with increases in homicide rates resulting in 700 additional homicides nationwide each year.1Michelle Degli Esposti et al., “Analysis of ‘Stand Your Ground’ Self-Defense Laws and Statewide Rates of Homicides and Firearm Homicides,” JAMA Network Open 5, no. 2 (February 21, 2022): e220077, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0077. And they drastically reduce consequences. In Shoot First states, these homicides are deemed justifiable five times more frequently than when the shooter is Black and the victim is white.2Everytown analysis of FBI Supplementary Homicide Report, 2014 to 2018.
No Shoot First Law
Show Citations and Footnotes
Source: Ala. Code § 13A-3-23; Alaska Stat. § 11.81.335(b); Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-405; Ark. Code Ann. §§ 5-2-606, 5-2-607; Fla. Stat. §§ 776.012, 776.031; Ga. Code Ann. §§ 16-3-21(a), 16-3-23.1; Idaho Code § 19-202A(3); Ind. Code § 35-41-3-2; Iowa Code § 704.1; Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-5222; Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 503.055(3); La. Stat. Ann. § 14:20; Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.972; Miss. Code Ann. § 97-3-15; Mo. Rev. Stat. § 563.031; Mont. Code Ann. § 5-3-102; Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 200.120, 200.200; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 627:4; N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-51.3; N.D. Cent. Code, § 12.1-05-07; Oh Rev Stat. § 2901.09; Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 1289.25(D); 18 Pa.C.S. § 505; S.C. Code Ann. § 16-11-440(C); S.D. Codified Laws §§ 22-18-4, 22-18-4.1; Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-611; Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 9.32; Utah Code Ann. § 76-2-402; Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-602.