Jack writes:
According to Channel 29, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Camblos is pushing the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for a ban on the discharge of firearms within 200 yards of any house in Albemarle. Including rurally-zoned property.
Camblos reportedly told the Board that he was shocked that no such law is currently in place, which appears to conflict with the fact that Albemarle County already bans the discharge of firearms within 50 feet of a house or road. The discharge of a firearm is already illegal in residentially-zoned subdivisions. The measure would prevent most rural residents of Albemarle County from either engaging in target practice or hunting on their own land.
Board member Denis Rooker spoke favorably towards the proposal and indicated a willingness to vote for it. The measure was proposed as a response to the ‘Bentivar cat-killer’ case, despite the fact that shooting your neighbor’s cat is already illegal and the culprit was convicted and given a prison sentence.
An errant bullet from a .22 will travel up to 2 miles unless it hits a target or a safe backstop first. Thus it is unclear how regulations banning the discharge of a firearm within 200 yards of a house would be any safer than either the current 50 foot rule or even a 1 mile rule.
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