(a) (1) The Board of Supervisors prohibits the discharge of firearms, except for certain hunting activities provided herein, in the following area of the County:
The area within a line following State Route 620 (Braddock Road) from the boundary with Fairfax County west to its intersection with State Route 659, then along State Route 659 north to its terminus at State Route 7, then following State Route 7 west to the corporate limits of the Town of Leesburg, then following the corporate limit line of the Town of Leesburg north and west to the Potomac River, then east along the Potomac River boundary with Maryland to the Fairfax County line, then southwest along the Fairfax County line to its intersection with State Route 620.
(2) Nothing herein shall prohibit the following hunting activities with firearms, subject to other applicable laws and regulations:
A. Deer hunting with handguns, shotguns or muzzle-loading rifles using a single projectile; or
B. All other hunting with rifles of .22 caliber rimfire or less, handguns, shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles using single or multiple projectiles.
(3) Nothing herein shall prohibit the outdoor shooting of sporting clays, subject to other applicable laws and regulations.
(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 and/or regularly occupied structure unless the owner or authorized agent has given permission.
(e) The discharge of firearms for recreational or target shooting purposes shall be conducted in such a manner as to ensure that projectiles do not leave the boundaries of the property or parcel upon which the shooting is occurring, unless permission to do so has been granted by the adjacent landowner. A projectile leaving the boundaries of the property or parcel shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
(f) This section does not apply to the following actions:
(1) Any shooting or discharge of firearms upon a lawfully established target, trap or skeet range;
(2) The discharge of firearms by any duly authorized peace officer or law enforcement official acting in the proper performance of his or her duties;
(3) Any shooting or discharge of firearms upon a target range operated by any police department or other law enforcement agency;
(4) Any discharge of firearms in defense of one's life or to kill a dangerous or destructive wild animal;
(5) The discharge of blank cartridges in theatrical performances or sporting events or at military funerals or other military affairs; and
(6) A managed hunt to control the deer population under the supervision of the Federal, State, or local law enforcement or game management officials.
(Ord. 01-02. Passed 4-16-01; Ord. 05-04. Passed 5-10-05; Ord. 06-05. Passed 3-14-06; Ord. 13-01. Passed 3-6-13; Ord. 19-18. Passed 12-11-19.)