Beaufort Co. couple want new law after bullet flies past guests and into their home

Frank and Darlene McGrath were standing in their driveway of their Lady’s Island home with dinner guests last week when they heard the bullet whistle past.

“That sound of a bee,” said Frank McGrath, a Vietnam veteran and retired navy officer. “If you have ever been in combat, you remember it the first time.”

It was Darlene’s first time hearing the sound, and she said she won’t forget it.

“If my husband’s best friend (a retired Marine colonel) had been standing 2 to 4 feet to his left, he would have been shot in the back,“ Darlene said.

The McGrath’s and their guest were apparently not deliberately targeted. The bullet likely came from a target practicing session on a neighbor’s property, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

The McGraths wants a county ordinance that prohibits discharging firearms in residential areas .The county currently does not have a law that addresses the discharge of firearms.

County officials have said there is no need for additional laws because state laws cover reckless acts with a firearm — such as shooting at a dwelling.

On Sept. 30, a day after the near miss, Darlene found a bullet hole in one of her windows. The dinning room table leg seems to have stopped the trajectory of the bullet, a Sheriff’s Office deputy told the couple.

This isn’t the first time the retired couple from northern Virginia have called the police about random gunshots near their home. in regards to bullets. They have called twice before.

“It is close enough that when you hear it, you flinch,” Darlene said.

The couple believes something has to change.

“We are not anti-guns. We are not anti-NRA,” Frank said. “Darlene is a coal miner’s daughter. They used to hunt, and her dad taught her how to hunt. We are not worried about guns. We are concerned about safety in our residential community.”

The Sheriff’s Office report of the incident shows deputies found evidence of target practice happening on a nearby neighbor’s property. The deputy found two metal filing cabinets riddled with bullet holes, the report says.

“The distance from the cabinets to the front window (of the McGrath’s home) was approximately 650 feet,” the report says, “well within the capacity of a rifle.”

The owner of the residence said he was not at home at the time of the incident. He said it is possible someone else came onto his property and used the cabinet as a target.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Monday that an investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

Incorporated cities and towns in Beaufort County have ordinances restricting firearms within the municipalities limits.

Unincorporated areas in the county fall under the Beaufort County Council’s jurisdiction.

Frank and Darlene’s homeis in unincorporated Beaufort County.

“The county’s residential areas are growing by leaps and bounds,” Frank said. “Ordinances must be enacted that will provide safety for the residents. That is the job of the county council.”

The couple and other neighbors are scheduled to speak to County Council during its meeting Monday night. They are expected to encourage council to revise its ordinances.

“We know you have people who deliberately bought homes here, with a little bit of land, so they can discharge firearms in their back yards,” Frank said. “That is the hardest nut to crack. Citizens’ safety, in my opinion, trumps the rights of others. This is similar to traffic lights and traffic laws.”

Residents of Pleasant Point attempted to change county laws on the issue in 2010. The residents had concerns about deer hunters in the area.

State law already bans shooting into a dwelling or vehicle, Tanner said Monday. He said the law also bans shooting while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“I don’t think an ordinance can do more than state law already does,” he said. “I don’t think it could do anything differently other than make a big difference for those people who hunt responsibly.”

Tanner said deputies also encourage safe target practice. He said that includes a large backdrop such as a dirt berm.

“Once that round leaves the barrel of that gun — unless in a controlled environment — ricochet should be expected, Tanner said.

County Council Chairman Paul Sommerville also believes an new ordinance is not needed.

“The county is mostly rural,” Sommervillle said. “I don’t know what a county ordinance would look like for an entire county. You have a lot of people who have a certain amount of land, who hunt on it and target practice.”

Some neighborhoods have added their own covenants on the issue, Sommerville said. He said this could be a possibility for other residential areas in the county.

Frank says he doesn’t want a blanket law outlawing guns. He just wants something that addresses the reckless discharge of a firearm near residences.

“This was a shot across the bow,” Frank said. “This was a wake up call. Luckily, the only damage was our window and our wallet.”