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Public commenters urge ban on firearm discharge at county cemetery after Memorial Day incident
Summary
Public comment at the July 15 meeting described a Memorial Day incident in which someone fired a rifle near people at a county cemetery; the speaker urged the cemetery board and commissioners to adopt a rule or resolution banning firearm discharge at the cemetery and to consider alternative gopher‑control methods.
During public comment on July 15, a citizen identified in the minutes as John Liand described a June incident at the county cemetery in which a person in a pickup truck discharged a rifle while people were gathered at a flag ceremony. The commenter said he called the sheriff and later spoke with a deputy and the county's legal contact about possible code applications.
The commenter asked the cemetery board and commissioners to consider adopting a rule or county resolution forbidding the discharge of firearms within cemetery grounds, except for narrow exemptions (for example, law‑enforcement actions or military honors). He said he will reintroduce a proposed resolution at the next meeting and urged the county to post clear rules to reduce safety and liability risks.
The public also discussed gopher control options at the cemetery: trapping, non‑harmful bait feeders and propane fumigation were mentioned as alternatives to shooting. County deputies and staff discussed relevant Montana statute language in general terms during the exchange; a deputy noted that a public‑nuisance statute could apply in some circumstances but that the threshold for enforcement may depend on whether a substantial number of people were endangered.
Commissioners and the cemetery board took the input under advisement and the commenter said he would press for a formal resolution at a future meeting. No formal county action on a ban was taken at the July 15 meeting.
