The meeting room downstairs at the Peachtree City Library was full March 31 as Fayette County Sheriff Wayne Hannah and GeorgiaCarry.org Executive Director Jerry Henry fielded residents’ questions on the particulars of current state law on carrying firearms.
Henry at the outset of the meeting referenced the passage of Senate Bill 308 in 2010 and how it expanded the places where a gun can be carried.
The questions quickly followed, with one resident asking about the use of deadly force and potential liability.
“If the District Attorney says the guy is justified (in using deadly force) then nothing will happen,” Henry said. “But if there’s a doubt in your mind try to get out of the situation.”
Hannah agreed, adding that “you need to be in fear of your life” whether at home or in public.
Also the subject of more than one question related to carrying a firearm in a church or on church property. Henry explained that firearms cannot be carried into a church, though with the passage of SB 308, residents can have a gun in their vehicles provided that the resident is in possession of a valid Georgia weapons license.
Fielding a question by a church administrator who asked about responding to an alarm call in the middle of the night, Henry and Hannah said the gun would be legal in the church parking lot but not inside the church.
Elaborating on the Georgia weapons license, Henry explained that the license can be applied for at a county Probate Court and requires a criminal background check.
Another question pertained to a homeowner who asked if he could legally carry a firearm to his barn to investigate a possible disturbance.
“It’s your property. You can carry it where you want,” Hannah said.
With a license, a Georgia resident can carry a gun in state parks, historic sites and recreation areas, but a firearm cannot be carried into a government building, Henry said.
Pertaining to carrying a firearm in a business such as a restaurant, both Hannah and Henry suggested that patrons be respectful of the business and the private property owner’s position on the issue.
Henry said that current Georgia law provides that, with a license, a firearm can be carried in permitted areas loaded or unloaded, visible or concealed.
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), author of the Common Sense Gun Bill (SB 308) was planning to attend but was detained at the Capitol.
The GeorgiaCarry.org website contains a wealth of information on all the specifics related to current state law on carrying firearms. For more information visit www.georgiacarry.org.
