Bill aims to strengthen firearms training for police officers after 2021 Fanta Bility shooting

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What is Fanta’s Law? Bill requires police to complete multiple firearms training courses per year

Lawmakers in two states are introducing bills requiring police officers in certain communities to take mandatory firearms training classes at least four times a year. This decision comes after eight-year-old Fanta Bility was tragically shot and killed by Sharon Hill police in August 2021.

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a bill to strengthen firearms training for police officers after the shooting death of 8-year-old Fanta Bility in 2021.

Bility was leaving a football game at Sharon Hill High School when she was shot by police who thought they were shooting at a car involved in a shooting.

The officers were fired by the borough and later pleaded guilty to several counts of inadvertent endangerment. The Bility family reached a settlement of $11 million in 2023.

The “Fanta Law,” introduced Monday by lawmakers, would require officers in certain communities to take at least four firearms training courses per year.

Sharon Hill reaches federal settlement with Fanta Bility’s family

Sharon Hill Borough says it has reached a federal settlement agreement with Fanta Bility’s family. The 8-year-old was killed by police gunfire during a high school football game in 2021.

Any officer who fails to complete the required number of firearms training courses will be placed on administrative leave, according to the proposed legislation.

“I want to keep Fanta in my mind when she has come to life,” Bility’s mother, Tenneh Kromah, said Monday. “I don’t want anyone to find themselves in this situation again.”

The Delaware County Fraternal Order of Police said it supports the proposed bill, along with Delaware County Prosecutor Jack Stollsteimer.

“It’s not just about shooting static targets,” Stollsteimer said. “We need to teach police officers to use virtual targets so they can make quick decisions in very difficult situations.”

The family has created a foundation in the name of Fanta Bility and intends to continue working on police training issues.