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Home > News : Story
Lawmaker wants drive-by shooting law
Posted: 12.29.2009 at 12:46 AM
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Read more: Local, State, Politics, Wendell Gilliard, Drive By Shooting

(AP) -- COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina lawmaker wants a specific penalty for those who commit drive-by shootings, including the possibility of execution if the shooting results in deaths.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Tuesday that Charleston Representative Wendell Gilliard has offered a bill to require at least 25 years in prison for those who commit drive-by shootings that result in serious injury.

Gilliard says state laws don't specifically target drive-by shooters and there is no consistent punishment. Shooters would not be eligible for a suspended sentence or parole.

The Democrat says he wrote the bill after a November drive-by shooting in Walterboro that killed three people, including a 20-month-old child.

He says he's also concerned that gangs use drive-by shootings as retaliation against other gangs.

(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)