South Carolina's a pretty gun-friendly place, but gun owners in Beaufort County can be excused if they feel a little less welcome these days. The county's government passed a new ordinance earlier this month that's mean to restrict the discharge of firearms in unincorporated parts of the county, and while the measure that passed is an improvement in some respects over what what originally introduced, it could now leave gun owners guessing about whether or not their recreational shooting on their own property could get them in trouble.
As proposed, the county's ordinance would have banned the discharge of firearms within 500 feet of all buildings, playgrounds, and parks, with the potential for a 30-day jail sentence and a $500 fine for violations.
The council ultimately removed the strict distance boundaries and jail time after local law enforcement and the solicitor’s office recommended that violations be treated like a civil public nuisance. Similar to a loud party or an overgrown lawn, a change intended to simplify enforcement and focus on correcting unsafe behavior.
The new ordinance states, “It shall be unlawful for any person in the unincorporated area of the county to intentionally, negligently or carelessly discharge any firearm in a manner as to be likely to cause bodily injury or death to persons or domestic animals or damage to or destruction of property.”
I appreciate the removal of the criminal penalties, but without some clear definitions about what constitutes a danger of bodily injury or property damage, many residents are going to be left wondering about whether or not plinking on their property will be allowed.
Newer subdivision residents have been raising urgent safety concerns, relaying to county council alarming accounts of stray bullets hitting houses and embedding in trees near active playgrounds. Parents reported that backyard playtime is now too dangerous due to constant shooting nearby, driving some homeowners to consider selling their properties and fleeing the county over a perceived lack of security.
Meanwhile, supporters of the revised ordinance emphasized that the proposed measure targets responsible firearm use, while not impinging upon Second Amendment rights.
I'm not an attorney, but my advice to gun owners who want to continue shooting on their land is to follow the basic rules of gun safety. In particular, make sure of your backstop, but also ensure that there's nothing located behind that backstop that might be occupied by people or pets. And if there's no place on your property where it's safe to shoot without the potential to hit nearby buildings, humans, or domestic animals, you're gonna need to find a new spot for your plinking pleasure.
Will this new ordinance satisfy some of the Beaufort County residents who've been advocating for a change for over a year? Well, that remains to be seen. Even if the language stops instances of unsafe shooting, though, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these folks start complaining about the sound of gunfire in their area.
There's already a noise ordinance in place that limits noise exceeding 80 decibels between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. (with a limit of 60 decibels from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), and unsuppressed rifles and handguns can easily be nearly twice as loud as what's allowed under county law. Ironically, there's an exception in the ordinance for the "Sound of Freedom", but that only covers noises "emanating from airplanes associated with the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort."
I consider my neighbors' shooting (and my own) to be the sound of freedom, but I guess the county council disagrees. In addition to ensuring they've got a safe place to shoot on their property, Beaufort County gun owners might want to invest in suppressors for their firearms if they want to avoid any fines instigated by neighbors who are upset over the sound of freedom coming from firearms and not jet engines.
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