BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) – Beaufort County Council voted unanimously to send a proposed gun ordinance back to committee, saying they still had more questions than answers after meeting with local law enforcement, the solicitor’s office, and other community groups.
Council members said feedback from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office made it clear the ordinance would be stronger if it were written as a civil ordinance — similar to a public nuisance violation — rather than a criminal ordinance.
What the ordinance would do
The proposed ordinance would make it unlawful to discharge a weapon outside city limits within 500 feet of a building, park, or school.
County leaders said the proposal was prompted by multiple neighborhood complaints in the Bluffton area last year.
Why the council wants changes
As currently drafted, council members said the ordinance needs clearer enforcement language and penalties…