No person shall wilfully discharge or cause to be discharged any firearm within the city; provided, that this section shall not apply to any law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties, nor to any other person whose wilful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law; provided further, that this section shall not apply to any person shooting in licensed shooting galleries or shooting inside a building on a shooting range so constructed as to prevent the shot, projectile or other missile which has been fired from escaping or ricocheting.

(Code 1976, § 17-32)

State law reference-Authority of city to regulate or prohibit discharge of fireams, Code of Virginia, 6 15.1-865.

No person shall discharge arrows, nails or bullets from a bow or cross-bow in or into any street or other public place, or anywhere within the city discharge shot, gravel, bullets or other similar substances from a sling shot, gravel shooter, air gun or similar implement. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the use of bows and arrows on authorized archery ranges.

(Code 1976, § 17-34)

Willfully discharging firearms in public places.

A. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm in any street in a city or town, or in any place of public business or place of public gathering, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. If any person willfully discharges or causes to be discharged any firearm upon any public, private or parochial elementary, middle or high school, including the buildings and grounds or upon public property within 1,000 feet of such school property, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony,

C. This section shall not apply to any law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law. In addition, subsection B shall not apply to any otherwise lawful discharge while actually engaged in lawful hunting, a program or curriculum sponsored by or conducted with permission of the school or while in or on an established shooting range. (Code 1950, § 18.1-69; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1992, c. 735.)

Applied in United States v, Smith, 727 F. Supp. 1023 (W.D. Va. 1990).