North Carolina Lawmakers Propose Gang Law Overhaul After Teen’s Death
Proposed “Jaleeyah’s Law” would overhaul North Carolina gang laws after 13-year-old’s shooting death, lowering prosecution thresholds and increasing penalties.
GOLDSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA — A proposed state law named after a 13-year-old girl killed in December would enact the most significant changes to North Carolina’s gang laws in nearly two decades.
House Bill 1173, known as “Jaleeyah’s Law,” was announced Friday during a press conference at Goldsboro City Hall. The legislation honors Jaleeyah Tune, who was shot and killed on December 21, 2025, while walking home with her sister.
“This bill is not just a paper to me,” said Whitney Brown-Tune, Jaleeyah’s mother, during the announcement. “This is my child’s name, this is my pain, this is my fight, and this is my purpose to believe that I will keep speaking to her.”
Major Changes to Gang Prosecution
The proposed legislation would represent the biggest overhaul to North Carolina’s gang laws since the state passed the Gang Suppression Act in 2008. If approved, the bill would lower the threshold for law enforcement to charge someone with being a gang member or engaging in gang activity.
Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), the bill’s primary sponsor and state House Rules committee chairman, said current laws make gang cases difficult to prosecute. The proposal was developed with input from the State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.
“We’re here today because a mother said, ‘I lost my daughter, but we’re not gonna lose another one,'” Bell said during the press conference.
Case Details Remain Unclear
The exact circumstances surrounding Jaleeyah Tune’s death on December 21, 2025, remain unclear. The Goldsboro Police Department arrested three teenagers in connection with her death.
Tune’s family has not spoken publicly about what they believe happened that day. However, Brown-Tune has spent the months since her daughter’s death pushing lawmakers to strengthen the state’s gang laws.
“I lost my baby, and things need to change,” Brown-Tune said Friday.
Legislative Provisions
The bill would expand how the state defines gang membership and increase penalties tied to gang-related crimes. According to lawmakers, prosecutors and State Bureau of Investigation officials, the current law creates challenges in prosecuting gang cases.
The legislation would also create two statewide resource prosecutors and establish a criminal enforcement mechanism to better address gang activity across North Carolina.
Bell said Brown-Tune first approached him with ideas for legislative changes after her daughter’s death, leading to the development of the comprehensive proposal now before lawmakers.
