HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County leaders have drafted a new ordinance to regulate where registered gun owners can fire their guns.

The county currently has no restrictions on where registered gun owners can fire their weapons recreationally.

“Ninety-nine percent of the shooters in Horry County are safe,” claims Councilman Johnny Vaught. “They’re shooting at targets or they’re hunting. But it’s that 1% out there that’s being reckless and we have no way to do anything about it.”

The Horry County Public Safety Committee will meet on Monday to discuss an ordinance to prevent “reckless shooting.” Which Vaught says the committee defines as, “shooting into neighborhoods, shooting without proper backup, anything that’s endangering people. It should, by necessity, be a broad definition. There are all kinds of ways that you can endanger people.”

The county attempted to restrict gun use within 900 feet of housing subdivisions and schools but received considerable pushback from gun owners. Vaught says this ordinance will not include such distance restrictions. Instead, it will allow Horry County police to decide whether someone has become a safety threat by firing their gun.

“It makes it a judgment call rather than making it so complicated that nobody understands it. It got so complicated that I couldn’t understand it,” Vaught admits.

If the ordinance passes, offenders would have to pay a fine of up to $500 and spend up to 30 days in jail. If they’re arrested for reckless shooting again within a year, they’ll be sentenced to pay a mandatory $1,000 fine and spend 30 days in jail.

“That’s the teeth to it,” says Vaught. “Before they couldn’t even arrest someone doing that. Their hands were tied before.”

Vaught adds that registered gun owners in Horry County have no reason to object the ordinance.

“It’s not restrictive on people’s second amendment rights. We’re not going to have officers driving around, listening for people shooting. People who are safe shooters are not threatened by this.”

The Horry County Public Safety Committee will meet Monday, September 25th at 10 A.M., at the Horry County Government Building in Conway.