SPOKANE, Wash. — The mother of a boy who was shot and killed in North Spokane is supporting legislation aimed at addressing gun violence in Washington.
House Bill 1799, if passed, would prevent those who are serving time for violent crimes committed with a firearm from being released early for good behavior.
On January 25, 13-year-old Gavin Looper was killed in a drive-by shooting while playing video games in a home in North Spokane.
Lawmakers have named House Bill 1799 the ‘Gavin Looper Act’ in honor of the late middle schooler.
On Wednesday, his mother, Renee Rogers, pleaded with a judge to not allow the man accused of killing her son, Glen Dylan Burkey, to be released on bail.
Burkey was previously involved in a drive-by shooting and assault case, but they were dismissed. He also pleaded guilty to criminal mischief.
State Representative Jenny Graham sponsors HB1799 and hopes it will address the rise of gun violence in Washington.
“The idea behind this was to draw a line in the sand a very clearly say that if you commit a violent crime with a firearm, you are not getting out of jail early because we mean it when we say it,” she said.
The bill has not yet had it’s first hearing, but Graham said she will continue to fight for it throughout the legislative session.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
