HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – An Horry County family said stray bullets hit their house Monday morning and that they are frustrated police cannot do more.
Right now there are no restrictions that limit where people can fire weapons in the county.
It started out a quiet morning for the Millward family, until shots were fired in their Socastee neighborhood.
“There were six shots,” said James Millward. “One hit the side of my house.”
Millward said his granddaughter was lying in bed when the shots rang out.
A bullet hole he showed News13 was a couple inches below her bedroom window.
“If it had been a foot higher, it would have killed her,” he said.
Millward said this is another reason why Horry County needs to create more standards addressing where shooting is allowed.
This is not the first complaint the county has heard.
“As development has started to happen over the last twenty years that has become quite an issue,” said county spokesperson Lisa Bourcier.
Which is why the county is moving forward with an ordinance that would give police more power.
Currently, it’s only unlawful to shoot at homes or vehicles.
“And that’s about it,” Bourcier said.
The proposed ordinance aims to regulate where people can shoot firearms in the county.
Since a public hearing in May, the county has discussed if the ordinance should only regulate certain subdivisions and if buffers should be placed in the county.
“Whatever we come up with we need to make sure law enforcement has the tools that they need to be able to enforce it,” Bourcier said.
According to Bourcier, the goal behind the ordinance is not to take away the right to bear arms but rather give police the power to regulate reckless gun behavior.
The first reading of the ordinance will be discussed during a September Public Safety Committee meeting, which is open to the public.
Millward said he plans to speak at the meeting.
“Now it’s just a concern,” he said. “Tomorrow it might be a funeral.”