Warning issued on firearm safety 

It’s hunting season in Tioweró:ton, where complaints have come in about firearms being used too close to cabins.

At least three separate complaints were made to caretakers over the last month, said Tracey Snow, Tioweró:ton’s manager.

“There is a gun range that is designated for people to fire their firearms. We're asking people to stick to those areas,” she said. “The hunting areas are far away. Cabin owners shouldn't be hearing it.”

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers and Public Safety with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) issued a warning Monday in response to the incidents, reminding community members they can be charged for firing shots too close to populated areas.

“You shouldn't be doing it where people are residing. That's a crime. First of all, it's careless use of a firearm. And second, you could land yourself in jail,” said Peacekeepers spokesperson Kyle Zachary. “If you're found guilty, you can be sentenced to a prison term not exceeding two years on a first offense.”

Repeat offenders meanwhile can be sentenced to five-year prison terms.

“Some of these firearms have projectiles that can travel up to a few KM. It’s not safe,” Zachary said. “There are kids all over the place. There could be kids in the woods.”

Those using firearms on the territory should only be doing so in the designated hunting areas in the woods or at the small shooting range there surrounded by a sand pit.

“We know it's hunting season, but there are areas up there where you can fire a firearm safely,” Zachary said.

A 32-year-old man lost his life after a hunting accident in the territory three years ago. What happened is still fresh in the memories of many who stay up there, Zachary said.

A 37-year-old man, also a local, was arrested in connection with the shooting. Hunting was banned for three days that September as Peacekeepers worked to investigate the scene. The moratorium was also held to honour the life of the young man. 

“I think a lot of times people think that just because they're up north, they're in Tioweró:ton, that they can just do these things. But it's a safety issue. It's a danger to the public,” Zachary said.

In the time since that fatal shooting, there haven’t been any other arrests made over careless use of a firearm, he said.

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