Which option correctly combines the elements of discharging a firearm in public?

• A. Willfully discharge any firearm.
• B. On a street in a city or town or in a place of public business or gathering.
• C. Both Willfully discharge any firearm and On a street in a city or town or in a place of public business or gathering.
• D. Discharging a firearm is only illegal in private property.

Answer: (C)

Discharging a firearm in public is about two things lining up at the same time: the act itself and where it happens. The act must be a willful discharge of any firearm, meaning the person intentionally fires a gun rather than doing so by accident. At the same time, that act must occur in a public setting—like on a street in a city or town, or in a place of public business or gathering. Both elements have to be proven together for the offense to apply.

That’s why the option that includes both elements is the best answer: it captures the required mental state (willfully discharging) and the required location (a public place). If you only have one element—either the willful discharge alone or the public location alone—you don’t meet the full offense as stated. And the idea that discharging a firearm is illegal only on private property is incorrect because the law also targets public settings described above.