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Until the mid to late 1990s, there was a shooting area like that in the Angeles National Forest I used to go to called "Kentucky Flats." The Forest Service eventually shut it down because the twice annual cleanups were too expensive. People dragged all manner of crap out there to shoot at, and they never hauled it back out with them—old washing machines, engine blocks, bowling balls, refrigerators, what have you.

Anyway, all kinds of people would go there to shoot, some less savory than others. I would never walk down to the target area without either having someone back at the truck to cover me, or carrying my weapon (loaded) down to the target area. There were several instances of people having their guns stolen that way, although I'm unaware of anyone getting shot when their guns were stolen. Although I never witnessed it, friends of mine who owned the Hidden Springs Cafe (Amos and Jim, the owners were shooting buddies of mine) lived up there in the mountains and they told me that Sheriff's Deputies had responded on more than one occasion to calls of automatic weapons fire at Kentucky Flats. It turns out that this place was also a playground for Los Angeles area "social clubs" where they went to test out new (illegally acquired) toys.

I never ever went there alone. My buddy Amos was a retired LA Co. Deputy, and he was a pretty calm and imposing figure. He died a few years back of a terrible lung disease picked up overseas on a trip with his wife. I still miss him.

BTW, Amos was a vet too. U.S. Navy, end of WW2 through Korea. Tough old bird. I've got several "Amos Stories" that I treasure.