INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – An Indianapolis City-County Council wary of possible lawsuits has shied away from banning residents from discharging weapons recreationally.
The Indianapolis Star reports the council voted down such a ban Monday despite some north side residents' complaints they've been terrified by duck hunters along the White River in recent years.
A city attorney, Andy Seiwert, says passing a ban could open the city up to lawsuits because a 2011 gun bill passed by the Indiana General Assembly prohibits cities from passing ordinances stricter than state law.
Councilman Will Gooden says state law allows citizens to sue municipalities that pass their own gun laws.
Councilwoman Angela Mansfield brought the proposed ban before the council. She says formerly rural areas of Indianapolis are now developed and it's dangerous to allow gunfire there.
