CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County leaders are changing an ordinance that limits where gun owners can shoot within the county.
Current regulation allows residents to fire a gun anywhere in Horry County, even if it’s near a home or school. In Friday’s budget retreat meeting, council members discussed the changes needed to keep communities safe.
“As the ordinance is drafted right now, without any amendment to it, you could theoretically discharge your firearm adjacent to or just outside of an established subdivision or an established community and fire projectile into that community, and that was what some of the calls for concern was in areas like Carolina Forest,” said Horry County Council member Dennis Disabato.
Horry County leaders asked the county’s attorney to come present a simplified draft of an ordinance that would allow people to shoot guns on their land, while simultaneously being responsible and safe in regards to people living in subdivisions around the county.
Originally, the county wanted to contour the regulation so gun owners couldn’t shoot a gun within 900 feet of a subdivision, but Friday they decided to take that part of the ordinance out.
Council leaders decided to rewrite the ordinance to word it that people shooting their guns cannot fire into a subdivision. Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus says despite the ordinance not have a specific distance mentioned, there will be a way to enforce the new gun rule.
“If their projectile goes into, it’s probably going to hit a house or something like else so there’s a significant way to find that out,” predicts Lazarus.
Lazarus says council wants to hear from county residents on the proposed ordinance before they vote. There will be a public hearing on Wednesday, May 3 at 5:00 p.m. at the county complex.
