Walbridge Statement in Response to Woman Struck in Loudoun Backyard Shooting

From Tia Walbridge for Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (Blue Ridge District):

Walbridge Statement in Response to Woman Struck in Loudoun Backyard Shooting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 9, 2019

Round Hill — Today, Tia Walbridge, Democratic nominee for Blue Ridge Supervisor, released the following statement following the backyard shooting that struck a woman in Loudoun:

“We have a crisis with backyard shootings in Loudoun. In the past 18 months, more than eight homes have been hit from the reckless use of backyard shooting ranges. Many of these have been Blue Ridge homes.

These shootings represent a failure on behalf of our Board of Supervisors to update our zoning ordinance — last revised in 2013 — to reflect the massive growth they’ve approved. As our Board of Supervisors continues to approve more density in traditionally rural areas, they must do their due diligence to update our zoning to account for that growth. The required one hundred yards between recreational shooting areas and our residential communities has proven to be insufficient to keep our residents safe.

After someone struck multiple homes with a fully automatic machine gun in a makeshift backyard shooting range in Willowsford last year, current Blue Ridge District Supervisor Tony Buffington refused to update the zoning ordinance to protect the lives of the people in his district.

Enough is enough. It’s time for action. Democrats on our Board of Supervisors have repeatedly pushed for sensible gun safety regulations. The Republican response? See for yourself.

The following proposals have been blocked by Republicans on the Board of Supervisors:

• Increasing the no-shoot zone around homes;
• Increasing the no-shoot zone around roads;
• Requiring owners of backyard shooting ranges to install safety berms or other impermeable barriers;
• Extending the no-shooting area in the county west of the Suburban Policy Area.

We are lucky this woman wasn’t more seriously hurt. We cannot wait until we lose one of our own before we grow the courage to enact sensible gun-safety regulations.”