JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri state representative wants to turn a family tragedy into increased protection for potential victims of domestic violence.
In November 2025, 22-year-old Hailey Jennings of Festus, Missouri was murdered by gunshot in an act of domestic violence. Her boyfriend, the perpetrator, then turned the gun on himself. The violence that ended Hailey’s life was tragic, devastating, and preventable.
Hailey was the cousin of Missouri State Representative Elizabeth Fuchs.
Hailey was just beginning her career as a union painter with District Council 58 and had a deep love for family, tradition, and the outdoors.
She cherished baking Christmas cookies with her mother and grandmother, hunting in northwest Missouri with her father and brother, and spending summers in Pentwater, Michigan with her extended Jennings family, building sandcastles with younger relatives, fishing with cousins, and ending each day with ice cream cones on Main Street.
Hailey had a full life ahead of her.
Now, Representative Fuchs will file comprehensive gun and firearm reform legislation, the first component of which will be named Hailey’s Law.
Hailey’s Law is the first bill in a broader legislative effort to address the dangerous intersection of intimate partner violence, mental health distress, and access to firearms. The legislation will authorize family members or members of a household to petition the court for a temporary order of protection to remove firearms from the home when an individual is experiencing extreme mental health decline and poses a credible risk.
“This legislation exists because Hailey should still be alive,” said Representative Fuchs. “No family should have to wonder whether a tragedy like this could have been stopped when we have the power to act.”
The urgency of this legislation is underscored by alarming national and state statistics:
- Missouri ranks 3rd in the nation for incidents of domestic violence
- Every year, more than 600 American women are shot
- Firearms are the most commonly used weapons in domestic violence homicides; women are more likely to be murdered with a gun than by all other means combined
- Half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former partner or family member
Hailey’s Law is designed to be a targeted, preventative measure focused on temporary intervention during moments of crisis, while respecting due process and the role of the courts.
“This is about saving lives,” Representative Fuchs said. “It is about listening to families, recognizing warning signs, and ensuring that moments of mental health crisis do not turn into irreversible loss.”
Additional legislation addressing firearm safety, domestic violence prevention, and mental health protections will be introduced in the coming months.