State lawmakers are pushing a bill that is meant to increase penalties in drive-by shooting cases, a measure spurred by the murder of an 11-year-old boy in the Capital Region earlier this month. 

As proposed by Republican Sen. Daphne Jordan and Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, the bill would change the state's criminal law to create the crime of a "drive by shooting" as defined by a person causing the death of another person by discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle. 

The bill would allow a prosecutor to charge a defendant with first-degree murder if the death was connected to a drive-by shooting. 

“It’s heartbreaking to see this tragic and senseless death,” Santabarbara said. “Drive-by shootings are an attack on our community and we cannot standby while innocent bystanders become victims. We must do all that we can to ensure those responsible face the harshest penalties,"

The measure was proposed in the wake of Ayshawn Davis's murder in a drive-by shooting in Troy. 

“Our entire Capital Region was shocked and horrified at the senseless murder of 11-year-old Ayshawn Davis, a beloved child with a bright future," Jordan said. "As a mom of two boys, I cannot begin to comprehend the Davis family’s pain over this unspeakable loss. We send our prayers to the Davis family and want to see Ayshawn’s killer receive swift justice,” Senator Jordan said.