BLOUNT COUNTY — A gun ordinance was recently passed that triggered heated debate during a town hall meeting in Louisville, TN on Tuesday night.
Louisville is a small town in Blount County. It's located about 15 minutes north of Maryville, Tenn. According to the town's website -- the population was just more than 4,000 in 2015.
The ordinance states that it is illegal to shoot a gun within 100 yards of homes, public parks, schools, churches and public roads in Louisville. If you do and get caught doing so your looking at a Class C misdemeanor.
This ordinance that was initiated by public complaints to the Louisville Mayor, Tom Bickers.
"This was an ordinance designed to enhance safety in the community," Mayor Bickers said.
That's not how gun advocates saw it, though.
"I don't think there is anything in this ordinance that increases safety," Trai Swaney, a gun rights advocate, said.
Swaney, who has a Louisville address but doesn't technically live in the city, is one of the people in charge of the Facebook Group "Blount County Gun Owners."
He and other members of the group came to the meeting to discuss their concerns.
"Their view is, 'If I own a piece if property along school property and shoot a high powered rifle while kids are at recess, that's my right,'" Mayor Tom Bickers said.
Swaney said he doesn't understand the point of the ordinance altogether.
"Louisville has never had an ordinance like this. To my knowledge there has not been anybody shot or anything to that nature has happened to make an ordinance like this go into effect," Swaney said.