North Kansas City shooting: Missouri gun laws explained

Missouri State Highway Patrol officials issued a “Blue Alert“, Tuesday, after a law enforcement officer was reportedly shot while conducting a traffic stop. The suspect got out of the car, fired at the official and fled when stopped for a traffic check. 

The incident has raised questions about gun laws in Missouri. 

The state has some of the weakest gun laws in the US, with no law requiring background checks for unlicensed gun sales. As per the state laws, people can carry hidden and loaded handguns in public, without a permit or without undergoing any safety training. 

Missouri also doesn’t prevent domestic abusers from possessing guns. On average, 1,288 people die every year of gun violence in the state, and it is among the bottom ten US states in terms of gun law strength. 

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When it comes to gun deaths, Missouri is the fourth-highest, while it ranks among the five states with the highest gun homicide rates. Missouri is also among the top ten states when it comes to household firearm ownership.

A lack of foundational gun safety laws, coupled with the state’s decision to repeal its 80-year-old gun purchase permit, has seen gun homicide increase up to 27%. However, there isn’t much momentum for stricter gun laws, though St Louis had the highest rate of gun murders among all US cities, as per Everytown research, which looks into causes of gun violence in the country. 

Of the fifty key policies, Missouri doesn’t have most in place, including a ban on purchasing assault weapons, high capacity magazines, or regulation of ghost guns. 

Those with violent offences can also purchase guns and no secure storage is required. As of 2022, the state has a no guns mandate on college campuses, meaning colleges and universities cannot be forced to comply with a concealed carry permit. 

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The public cannot carry guns to political protests or on state capitol grounds. Those convicted of hate crimes, or of felonies cannot purchase guns either and fugitives on the run from the law cannot possess firearms. However, the state does not set a minimum age for gun purchase, showing an overall lax gun policy when compared other US states.