Garland gun range target of media smear campaign

[Keith B]

A new article showed up on Fox 4. Apparently the range has agreed to make some changes in their range to help increase safety, but will not shut down. The added measures are raising the berm from 11 to 20 feet, adding steel plates to the overhead visors, and adding another range officer http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/Garlan ... res-020712" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[03Lightningrocks]

A new article showed up on Fox 4. Apparently the range has agreed to make some changes in their range to help increase safety, but will not shut down. The added measures are raising the berm from 11 to 20 feet, adding steel plates to the overhead visors, and adding another range officer http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/Garlan ... res-020712" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have a bad feeling the folks in that neighborhood are going to claim this is not good enough. The real issue is housing values and what having a gun range beside your neighborhood does to those values. Granted, all these fine folks bought those homes at discounted prices, but when they want to sell, it is not easy finding a buyer. I made a similar mistake when I bought my home. Legacy is running right behind my back yard. I got a heck of a buy on my home and was dumb about why. Now I know. My home value is one thing but the noise from Legacy is going to make it hard finding a buyer who does not think of the situation. Same thing for those folks. They have a very hard time selling at any price and need the gun range gone. The safety issues were just a part of why. IMHO...

[jpfrog]

Yeah, saw the story on NBC news last night.... http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Garlan ... 95399.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I just hope for the range's sake that they're not getting stuck with the full bill to produce the new safety measures. Seems to me the developers of the homes "downrange" and the city should pick up part of the tab too. If the range gets the full bill, I wonder if that'll jack up range usage fees? I also wonder when I'll be able to get out there with my big boy rifles again....

[03Lightningrocks]

Yeah, saw the story on NBC news last night.... http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Garlan ... 95399.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I just hope for the range's sake that they're not getting stuck with the full bill to produce the new safety measures. Seems to me the developers of the homes "downrange" and the city should pick up part of the tab too. If the range gets the full bill, I wonder if that'll jack up range usage fees? I also wonder when I'll be able to get out there with my big boy rifles again....

I don't see how they can put all that money into the range and not raise the prices. They really didn't charge that much anyway. All you can eat shooting for what...7 bucks? I can't remember now as it has been awhile since I went there. Even if it were twelve bucks, that is not bad... I suppose. It beats driving way out to elm fork or something.

[jadearcher]

I have a bad feeling the folks in that neighborhood are going to claim this is not good enough. The real issue is housing values and what having a gun range beside your neighborhood does to those values. Granted, all these fine folks bought those homes at discounted prices, but when they want to sell, it is not easy finding a buyer. I made a similar mistake when I bought my home. Legacy is running right behind my back yard. I got a heck of a buy on my home and was dumb about why. Now I know. My home value is one thing but the noise from Legacy is going to make it hard finding a buyer who does not think of the situation. Same thing for those folks. They have a very hard time selling at any price and need the gun range gone. The safety issues were just a part of why. IMHO...

The homes were not discounted in the neighborhood. The proximity to the range was not even mentioned since it's over a mile away on the other side of the landfill. Had it been mentioned the chances of people buying the homes heading over to the range to see whether rounds could leave the range are pretty slim. This isn't about the value of the homes. There are a lot of children in the neighborhood. A bullet went into a child's room. That's enough to make everyone on the street and those who deliver on the street a little nervous. You can't expect them to sit back and assume it's not going to happen again. Yes there are those who argue it's their own fault for moving there. I disagree. Those who moved in while houses were being built would not have even heard the gunshots from the range with all the construction going on. Seems to me any measures taken to prevent rounds from leaving the range is a good thing. Especially with the way the community has grown up around there.

[Keith B]

Folks, our new member posting here is definitely one of the homeowners who have had a bullet come through their home. They are dealing with a traumatic issue and want to feel their family is safe, no matter where the round came from.

We have a great group of members here and we ask that you all use decorum, are courteous when engaging in this discussion topic and remember our rules.

Thanks!

[03Lightningrocks]

I have a bad feeling the folks in that neighborhood are going to claim this is not good enough. The real issue is housing values and what having a gun range beside your neighborhood does to those values. Granted, all these fine folks bought those homes at discounted prices, but when they want to sell, it is not easy finding a buyer. I made a similar mistake when I bought my home. Legacy is running right behind my back yard. I got a heck of a buy on my home and was dumb about why. Now I know. My home value is one thing but the noise from Legacy is going to make it hard finding a buyer who does not think of the situation. Same thing for those folks. They have a very hard time selling at any price and need the gun range gone. The safety issues were just a part of why. IMHO...

The homes were not discounted in the neighborhood. The proximity to the range was not even mentioned since it's over a mile away on the other side of the landfill. Had it been mentioned the chances of people buying the homes heading over to the range to see whether rounds could leave the range are pretty slim. This isn't about the value of the homes. There are a lot of children in the neighborhood. A bullet went into a child's room. That's enough to make everyone on the street and those who deliver on the street a little nervous. You can't expect them to sit back and assume it's not going to happen again. Yes there are those who argue it's their own fault for moving there. I disagree. Those who moved in while houses were being built would not have even heard the gunshots from the range with all the construction going on. Seems to me any measures taken to prevent rounds from leaving the range is a good thing. Especially with the way the community has grown up around there.

I hope your correct and the home owners are satisfied with the safety measures. We will see. I could make a good argument for housing values and how the area the house is located in affects the price but instead, since you are one of the folks who had a bullet strike their home, would like to ask a couple questions.

I was looking at a map. How can one be sure the bullets that struck yours and the other home, came from the range? There is a lot of urban real estate between the range and your homes that could easily have been the origin of bullets in question. What happens if more bullets land in the hood after the safety measures are put into place?

P.S. I have shot out there in the past and would like to assure you that if I saw a nut shooting his weapon up into the air, I would pistol whip him right on the spot.

[Millerman]

Criminal investigation is still ongoing as to the ballistics, etc, but here is a map with the 2 houses hit on the 16th. For it to have been from someone in the landfill area, they would have had to have been shooting from directly behind the range, at the height of the day (6PM), when the range was 100% full. We found out later that night that a neighbor of ours drove by a few minutes before our house was hit, and said there was a line of people waiting to shoot, with the parking lot completely full. Remember, this was MLK Day so a lot of people were off work, and the weather was very nice.

Also, the gentleman that was hit in 2010 lives 3 houses down from the westernmost house shown on the map that was hit.

As for the home values, from everything we looked at when buying back in 2000, it is my opinion that the range did not have any effect on the values here. We looked at comparable homes in several areas, and prices were all pretty much the same. It also does not appear to be affecting values now, either, as the listed houses are selling with no problems. If anything, we might have hurt ourselves with this lawsuit, but that is the furthest thing from our minds.

[03Lightningrocks]

Wow! For rounds to go that distance, the shooter would have to be firing at a pretty good angle. Admittedly, it looks like the most likely place for the rounds to originate. It is disturbing that someone could be so ignorant as to fire rounds into the air like that. I have trouble believing it was a ricochet off the berms. Somebody would have been intentionally firing high. Maybe a person could have a scope way out of line, but it sure seems they would have noticed the rifle pointing at the sky.
They could build the berm fifty feet high and a knuckle head could still fire over it. Hopefully, the safety changes will solve the issue. I will admit it. I wouldn't want that situation at my home either. Good luck with it all.

[Millerman]

It's been documented that people shoot at the power lines that run right behind the range, as well as birds in the area. The problems are definitely not with the 99% of responsible shooters. It's the odd knucklehead that screws things up and could possibly kill someone.

It's the combination of raising the berm and improved overhead barriers that we hope will put an end to this.

[03Lightningrocks]

It's been documented that people shoot at the power lines that run right behind the range, as well as birds in the area. The problems are definitely not with the 99% of responsible shooters. It's the odd knucklehead that screws things up and could possibly kill someone.

It's the combination of raising the berm and improved overhead barriers that we hope will put an end to this.

I kid you not, if I were to see someone at that place shooting at power lines, I would butt stroke them.

I have been shooting at that range for more years than I care to mention...LOL. After looking at what went on there closer, I agree with you. They should do something to insure the idiots, that show up occasionally, can't harm innocent folks down range. Sorry you folks had those problems. Like you, I hope the range makes the improvements that will keep this kind of thing from happening. Sorry about the crappy way I welcomed you earlier. You are right to be concerned and do what you did. No matter how long the range has been there, rounds going off the premises is inexcusable!

[Millerman]

No problem. We just want to make it clear that we're not looking to shut anything down, just make it safe for everyone around.

[steveincowtown]

"Caveat Emptor" ?

Maybe?

[03Lightningrocks]

"Caveat Emptor" ?

Maybe?

Would that also apply if I lived in my neighborhood before you and then decided to throw my trash over the fence into your back yard? They aren't crying about the noise. There are bullets coming in from the range. There is no way you can possibly think it is OK for rounds to come off a range and land on others houses??? I have shot at that range and I can tell you there is nothing to prevent a retard from shooting over the berms. I always wanted to believe nobody would be that stupid but obviously they are! I completely misunderstood what was going on. I thought it was the folks living to the side of the range crying about noise. Where this guy lives, it would not be a natural consideration to think bullets would be coming into the yard. Those homes are one heck of a long way from the range. The 1.5 - 2 mile thing is "as the crow flies". I can believe a person would not think about that range when buying in that neighborhood. They shouldn't have to worry about bullets flying off the range!

I guess I am anti-gun now that I have revealed I don't believe it is my "right" to lob bullets onto others property.

[steveincowtown]

Would that also apply if I lived in my neighborhood before you and then decided to throw my trash over the fence into your back yard?

True.

I just find it hard to believe that if:

"Another found shell casings in his yard."

...that all the blame should be directed at the range. It seems like shell casings in a yard, in the neighborhood, might be a better place to focus the investigation.