Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (NVCJA) Practice Exam

What are the elements of discharging a firearm in public?

1. Discharge must cause injury

2. It must be on private property

3. Willfully discharge or cause discharge in public places

4. Only involving handguns

The correct answer is: Willfully discharge or cause discharge in public places

The correct response identifies that the core elements of discharging a firearm in public include the intentional act of firing or causing a firearm to be discharged in a public place. This aspect emphasizes the importance of the willful nature of the act and the context in which it occurs—specifically, in areas accessible to the general public. The intent behind legislations regarding discharging firearms in public often centers around public safety and the potential risks associated with such actions. Looking at the other options, causing injury is not a necessary element for defining the act itself; rather, it focuses on the consequences of the discharge. Similarly, the requirement for the discharge to occur on private property contradicts the fundamental aspect of the question regarding public spaces. Lastly, limiting the act exclusively to handguns does not represent the legal definition in a holistic sense, as the laws apply to various types of firearms. Hence, the emphasis is appropriately placed on the act being intentional and occurring in a public setting.