The Overview

Gang members in North Carolina who carry a gun while committing a serious crime will face a new felony charge starting Dec. 1, under a law named for a 13-year-old Goldsboro girl. Gov. Josh Stein (D) signed House Bill 1173, known as Jaleeyah’s Law, on Monday, July 6. ​

Jaleeyah Tune, a seventh grader, was shot and killed in Goldsboro on Dec. 21, 2025, days before Christmas. Teenagers have been charged with murder in her death, and lawmakers have described the shooting as gang violence, WRAL reported.

What the Law Does

Gang members who use or carry a gun during a serious felony, drug crime or violent crime commit a new Class G felony. The charge rises to Class F if they show the gun and Class D if they fire it, on a scale that runs from Class A, the most serious, down to Class I. Giving a gun to someone under 18 is also a new Class G felony for gang members.

Crimes committed as gang activity will be punished two felony classes higher instead of one, and three classes higher for gang leaders. Recruiting an adult into a gang becomes a Class F felony, and recruiting a minor, now defined as anyone under 18, becomes a Class D felony. The law also drops the requirement that a crime advance the gang’s goals before the higher penalty applies. A UNC School of Government analysis says that change is expected to draw constitutional challenges.

Prosecutors can now prove someone is a gang member with two signs instead of three, as long as one is an admission, identification by a reliable source or physical evidence such as membership rosters. Gang cases can also be tried in any county where part of the crime took place. These changes apply to crimes committed on or after Dec. 1.

Legislative Status

Rep. John Bell (R-Goldsboro) and Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Mount Airy) sponsored the bill with 12 cosponsors from both parties. The House passed it 111-2 on June 10 and the Senate passed it 44-5 on June 30, and the House agreed to the Senate’s changes July 1.

“It’s about prevention, accountability and protection before tragedy happens,” said Whitney Brown-Tune, Jaleeyah’s mother. An ACLU representative told lawmakers that lowering the bar for proving gang membership raises free speech and due process concerns. Rep. Deb Butler (D-Wilmington) warned the bill could sweep in people only loosely tied to gang members, according to the Carolina Journal.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article