Request for email/phone support: Loudoun County, VA proposing additional gun restrictions

VA Viper ^ | 06/20/2018 | Harpygoddess

[harpygoddess]

I'd like to ask for email and publicity support to fight proposed gun restrictions where I live - Loudoun County, VA.

There' hasn't been a lot written about this incident, but it turns out someone was target shooting in Loudoun County, Virginia on May 5, 2018 and some bullets hit three houses. Nobody was hurt, thankfully.

It appears (again, limited reporting) as if the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department knows who was doing the shooting, but is not planning to prosecute them. It's not clear why that's the case - several state laws were clearly violated, including reckless endangerment. Why are these existing laws not being enforced? Instead, the County is now looking at further restrictions on shooting.

The County is going to ask some firearms experts (we don't know who at this time) to give input at their next meeting on June 21 on how the County's ordinances can be revised. The current regulations (Chapter 684.03) restrict discharging of firearms in certain heavily populated areas, and, in other areas, there are additional restrictions:

(b) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 50 yards of a highway in the primary or secondary system of State roads.

(c) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of any public park or school. Nothing in this section shall be enforced within a national or State park or forest or wildlife management area.

(d) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of a building with a current occupancy permit unless the owner or authorized agent has given permission.

Some state senators and supervisors are calling for changes to the ordinances "to increase from 100 yards to 880 yards, or one half mile, the minimum distance an individual must be from any occupied home or occupied structure when discharging a firearm."

[harpygoddess]

Here's an email my son sent to concerned parties:

I am a lifelong Loudoun County resident from Sterling. I currently live in Lovettsville on 7 acres, which I bought in large part due to the freedom to exercise my second amendment rights. I literally printed the local firearms ordinance and walked the entire lot with one of your officers to ensure that I could comply with the law and shoot safely and legally. There are many thousands of responsible gun owners that live in Loudoun County and shoot responsibly on their own land. Attacking the rights of thousands because of the irresponsible behavior of one, or even a few, is unfair and tyrannical. Please protect our constitutional rights as you have sworn to do.

[outofsalt]

The NRA is H/Q’d just down the street from you. Send them a message. If you have any gun ranges or shooting clubs in the county be sure to make them aware. https://contact.nra.org/contact-us.aspx

[Manly Warrior]

There’s not enough information in the post to make any determination of what happened.

Also sounds like the OP is asking why the shooter is not being prosecuted- probably because he/she they may not have done anything illegal-mens rea being perhaps absent, even if bullets struck buildings. Now, that said, everyone everywhere should insure that their bullets strike a proper back stop/berm etc and to shoot at targets arrayed in front of and into a backstop not at targets scattered on the ground- that’s when ricochets occur.

Regarding the 880 yard stand off zone- that will be unreasonable for almost all people who shoot on their own property. I doubt there are many places in the county where a half mile (so, a mile diameter) around a rural homeowners firing point is would be void of any occupied building.