<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>83677</law_id><section_number>18.2-280</section_number><catch_line>Willfully discharging firearms in public places</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>18.2-308.09</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Crimes Involving Health and Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Dangerous Use of Firearms or Other Weapons</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> 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 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. If such conduct does not result in bodily injury to another person, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-299926" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-280/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> 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 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, unless he is engaged in a program or curriculum sponsored by or conducted with permission of a public, private or religious school. <a id="paragraph-299927" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-280/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> 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 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, unless he is engaged in lawful hunting. <a id="paragraph-299928" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-280/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> This section shall not apply to any <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at <span class="dictionary">law</span> in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-299929" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-280/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this <span class="dictionary">statute</span> shall preclude the Commonwealth from electing to <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> under any other applicable provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span> instead of this section. <a id="paragraph-299930" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-280/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-69; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1992, c. 735; 1999, c. 996; 2001, c. 712; 2005, c. 928.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
