JACKSON — Mississippi has enacted a sweeping new law aimed at reducing gang-related violence and crimes involving minors and firearms, state officials announced.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Senate Bill 2710, signed into law as part of her 2026 legislative agenda, targets gang activity by increasing penalties and shifting how certain juvenile firearm cases are prosecuted.
The law moves crimes of violence involving a firearm out of youth court and into circuit court, increases penalties for transferring stolen firearms to minors, and enhances sentences when stolen guns are used in violent crimes — including up to 40 years if used in a murder.
It also creates a new criminal offense for shooting into a crowd, with stricter penalties if the incident occurs at places such as schools, churches, courthouses, playgrounds or parks, or if minors are present or the offender is a gang member.
“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,” Fitch said. “Now the penalty fits the crime, making juvenile recruitment less attractive and getting dangerous criminals off the street.”
Fitch said the measure also responds to recent incidents of violence at public gatherings, including high school and college football games and homecoming events that left nearly a dozen people dead and dozens injured last fall.
The bill received support from several law enforcement and municipal organizations, including the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, the Mississippi Municipal League and the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association.
Bryan Buckley, president of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association and an assistant district attorney, said the law will help curb gun violence by minors and those who provide them with firearms.
Police Chief Billy Seal, president of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, called the legislation “a critical step forward” in addressing gang-related violence and protecting communities, particularly young people.
Shari Veazey, executive director of the Mississippi Municipal League, said cities and towns have seen a rise in youth and gang-related crime and that the law will provide needed support to improve public safety.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Joey Fillingane and is one of several measures from Fitch’s legislative agenda to become law this year. Lawmakers also approved two bills aimed at strengthening the state’s response to human trafficking and another to enhance child support enforcement.
