WA lawmaker pushing for two-strike policy for teens accused in gun crimes
WA lawmaker wants accountability for kids caught with guns
With teens running amok and getting violent too many times, one state lawmaker says the policy needs to change. Representative David Hackney says teens caught with a gun for the second time need to be punished, including jail time if needed.
SEATTLE - Disturbed by escalating youth violence across the state, Washington State Rep. David Hackney is pushing to overhaul state law regarding how juvenile firearm offenders are handled in the justice system, proposing stricter intervention penalties if a youth commits a second gun charge.
Under current Washington state law, juveniles who commit minor firearm offenses can be diverted into community programs up to four times before facing formal criminal charges.
The maximum penalty for the first four convictions is up to a judge, and they can weigh various 0–3 days of either juvenile detention or electronic home monitoring.
WA gun laws on youth violence
Rep. Hackney argues this approach allows young offenders to cycle back into the community without adequate supervision, often escalating to far more severe, deadly crimes.
It is only the fifth gun possession conviction that a minor can face 15 to 36 weeks with the State’s Juvenile Rehabilitation.
Hackney, who represents District 11, covering Tukwila, Renton, and Kent, initially sponsored a bill that would lower the threshold for intervention from five gun offenses to three. Hackney says his proposal did not receive a legislative committee hearing in the past session, but he is doubling down for the upcoming season in Olympia pushing for a two-strike policy.
"Once we learn that a youth is involved with firearms, if you get caught once, that really should be enough," Hackney said. "By the second time we've got a pattern... you are going to be a harm to yourself and others."
‘Two strikes’ policy for WA youth crime
Hackney says by the second offense the teen should be formally entered into the criminal justice system, where mandatory counseling, therapy, and structured interventions—including incarceration—can be enforced.
The democratic lawmaker acknowledges that it will be a challenge to convince lawmakers on the far left.
Critics of stricter policy argue that incarcerating young people inflicts long-term trauma and disproportionately harms people of color.
Hackney, however, views intervention as a necessary shield for the very communities those lawmakers aim to protect.
"The victims of these violent crimes are also people that live in these communities of color," Hackney said. "Incarceration is traumatizing for youth. I don't think anyone wants a youth to be incarcerated. But, violent crime is also traumatic for the community."
Seattle police officers walk across the Seattle Center campus after the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting on July 26, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Bite of Seattle shooting cause
Hackney pointed to the recent shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival — where a 15-year-old shooting suspect had prior firearm charges — as a stark example of system failure. Hackney argued that failing to intervene aggressively during initial offenses doesn't spare young people; instead, it sets them up to commit major felonies that result in decades in adult prison or loss of life.
Hackney intends to pre-file the updated legislation ahead of the next legislative session. He maintains that public safety and juvenile rehabilitation must go hand in hand to break the cycle of youth gun violence.
He says the issue should not be a partisan one.
"They don't have the judgment to know what's best for them," Hackney said. "If you do not have sanctions when they don't participate, they won't […] They'll only get better if you have a serious intervention."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle anchor Hana Kim.