City of Franklin, OH considers enacting gun control laws, decides otherwise after residents show up in force

Akron's South Side Leader is reporting that despite pressure from one local resident, the City of New Franklin's council has decided not to make any changes to gun control laws in the city.

The newspaper reports the decision was announced July 7 after Council members heard from a room packed with people who came out to support the gun laws as they stand.

From the article:

Currently, the city does not have its own gun laws, but instead relies on the Ohio Revised Code, which allows anyone to fire a gun anywhere as long as they are 300 feet from a dwelling.

At the June 23 Council meeting, resident Gretchen Koloniar asked Council members to consider some kind of review and modification to those laws in densely populated subdivisions after someone shot her sitter's dog while it was in a neighboring yard. She told Council she is not opposed to the concealed/carry law and her father and brother both hunt and enjoy target practice, but expressed concern for the young children that play in the sitter's yard, which is located in a subdivision of smaller lots.

About 40 people at the July 7 Council meeting spoke out against any changes to the current laws, and asked Council not to punish everyone for what one person has done.

Some residents suggested the matter was a loose dog issue and not a gun problem.

"This was probably a neighbor issue," said Walt Beavers, of Southview Drive.

Others suggested loose dogs bother horses and cattle in the area.

"Instead of worrying about guns, worry about common decency and think about your neighbor," said Hampsher Road resident Bob Millican, who stated dogs do bother the horses he keeps in a barn.

Peter Schanz, of Center Road, suggested dog owners have a responsibility to ensure their dogs are not running loose.

...Another resident suggested there were no laws broken in shooting Domino, but Koloniar pointed out the law allows people to shoot a dog only when it "shows vicious intent."

Although at least one councilman - Joe Parsons - had previously expressed openness to chanding the gun laws, most council members spoke out in support of not making any changes to the gun laws.

"The pulse of the community has spoken loudly against this," said Councilman Paul Adamson (Ward 1).