Guns, sling shots, bows, paint ball guns part of ordinance approved by city officials
While BB guns, pellet guns and sling shots are popular gadgets for boys, their use will soon not be allowed within the South Beloit city limits.
Projectile weapons, including guns, sling shots, bow and arrows and paint ball guns, are about to be banned under an ordinance approved by the city council earlier this week.
The issue came before the city council recently after a resident on the west side of town called police about arrows she found in her yard. Having small children around her home occasionally, the woman called police and expressed concern for the children who may have been playing in the yard when the arrows were shot.
Upon investigation, it was discovered the woman's neighbor was practicing archery in his yard when a few arrows careened off the target and into her yard.
In addition to calling police, the woman complained to a member of the city council about the danger of shooting a bow and arrow in town. Because the city did not have an ordinance controlling such activities, Police Chief Larry Schultz and City Attorney Jeff Livingston agreed to look into the issue.
The ordinance approved by the city council includes the banning of projectile weapons, including BB guns, pellet guns and sling shots. After research, Schultz decided to include paint ball guns as there have been reports of paint ball guns being shot at vehicles around the city. Schultz said similar reports come from residents complaining about windows being shot out by BB guns and pellet guns.
"Each of those pieces of equipment has the potential to do harm to an individual," Schultz said.
The ordinance must be published after it is approved by the city council. Ten days after publication, the ordinance goes into effect.
