In Colorado, Falsely Reporting a Mass Shooting is a Felony

It is an unfortunate truth that mass shootings are becoming far too common in the US. I'll save you the pointless, "It seems like every day..." intro for this piece since I'm sure you've read that enough times by now. No matter where you fall in the argument over how to fix the problem, we're all pretty much in agreement that the problem needs to be solved.

I'll tell you one more thing we can all agree on: we all hate these jerk-bags with too much time and not enough sense that they like to call in fake shooting reports to get their jollies. Those nitwits can go all the way to hell, and I think I can safely speak for everybody on that one, especially parents on the Western Slope.

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Luckily, we live in Colorado, and as the state legislature ends its session, there are new rules that should make calling in a fake shooting report significantly less attractive to these dolts. According to SB23-249, falsely reporting a mass shooting is now a Class 6 Felony. While that doesn't mean we get to shame these people in the streets, Game of Thrones-style, there are now some significantly uncomfortable options for legal retribution.

In Colorado, a Class 6 Felony charge is generally reserved for the least-serious of serious crimes. At this level, the penalties are nowhere near as harsh as, say, a Class 1 Felony, which would be the kind of crime that could land you life in prison. As a Class 6, fines for falsely reporting a mass shooting can range from 1 to 100 thousand dollars, and you could even see 12 to 18 months of jail time.

Considering how frightening it can already be out there sometimes, I sincerely hope anyone caught doing this nonsense qualifies for the maximum punishments allowed by a Class 6 Felony charge. Perhaps, when being a sadistic pest starts costing these folks hundreds of thousands of dollars, they'll learn their lesson.