Target shooting without a proper backstop - bad idea!

[mikew773]

Anyone see this from the Cass County Sheriff's office? Individuals were target shooting without a proper back stop and in the direction of a highway. Luckily nobody was hurt.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

idiots.

 

[deo62]

Scanner started out saying it was an active shooter and to shelter inside. Didn’t take to long to rescind that but scared a lot of folks over there.

 

[gregkl]

When I lived in Virginia, it was required by law to have a proper backstop. I thought the same here and told my boss one day just that.

He called the sheriff department on a neighbor that was just shooting off into the woods behind their property. The sheriff came out and said, "no, it is not required by law to have a backstop. You are just responsible for each round you fire. He didn't talk to the shooters or do anything else.

Is this accurate?

 

[johntheplinker]

Dumbasses.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

It was a safe direction . . . for them.

Make the Four Rules great again!

 

[Katana1]

I didn't see the article, but we had a case here in IN some years ago. A gunsmith was working on a 1911 at home. He finished late and wanted to test fire the gun. He lived in a wooded area, so he went out on his back porch and fired of a round into the woods. Luck was not with him that day. The round traveled 200 yards, hit a house, and then hit a man in the head as he was sleeping in his bed.

Yea, he could have fired into the ground, but no.

Sad story.

 

[mom45]

When I lived in Virginia, it was required by law to have a proper backstop. I thought the same here and told my boss one day just that.

He called the sheriff department on a neighbor that was just shooting off into the woods behind their property. The sheriff came out and said, "no, it is not required by law to have a backstop. You are just responsible for each round you fire. He didn't talk to the shooters or do anything else.

Is this accurate?

It is. My initial post on INGO resulted from my search for information regarding a situation with a neighbor who thought trees made adequate backstops and shooting into the woods was perfectly acceptable. We had to prove the damage to our property (hired a forester to assess the damage and provide a report for the court) and provide evidence of where the bullets were fired. We were able to document everything, and the neighbor was convicted of criminal recklessness. The judge banned him from shooting on his property for as long as he lives there. A consequence of being convicted of a crime that involved use of a firearm was the loss of his LTCH. It was way more than I was asking for as we just wanted him to build a proper backstop so we could safely enjoy our property again.

My research resulted in some interesting finds...the lack of a law requiring a backstop was surprising, but there is none. Some areas have a local ordinance that requires it, but ours does not. The person shooting is legally responsible for every round that leaves their property and any damage that results from them.

 

[gregkl]

It is. My initial post on INGO resulted from my search for information regarding a situation with a neighbor who thought trees made adequate backstops and shooting into the woods was perfectly acceptable. We had to prove the damage to our property (hired a forester to assess the damage and provide a report for the court) and provide evidence of where the bullets were fired. We were able to document everything, and the neighbor was convicted of criminal recklessness. The judge banned him from shooting on his property for as long as he lives there. A consequence of being convicted of a crime that involved use of a firearm was the loss of his LTCH. It was way more than I was asking for as we just wanted him to build a proper backstop so we could safely enjoy our property again.

My research resulted in some interesting finds...the lack of a law requiring a backstop was surprising, but there is none. Some areas have a local ordinance that requires it, but ours does not. The person shooting is legally responsible for every round that leaves their property and any damage that results from them.

Thanks mom! Tee hee. I always wanted to say that to you.

 

[WebSnyper]

It is. My initial post on INGO resulted from my search for information regarding a situation with a neighbor who thought trees made adequate backstops and shooting into the woods was perfectly acceptable. We had to prove the damage to our property (hired a forester to assess the damage and provide a report for the court) and provide evidence of where the bullets were fired. We were able to document everything, and the neighbor was convicted of criminal recklessness. The judge banned him from shooting on his property for as long as he lives there. A consequence of being convicted of a crime that involved use of a firearm was the loss of his LTCH. It was way more than I was asking for as we just wanted him to build a proper backstop so we could safely enjoy our property again.

My research resulted in some interesting finds...the lack of a law requiring a backstop was surprising, but there is none. Some areas have a local ordinance that requires it, but ours does not. The person shooting is legally responsible for every round that leaves their property and any damage that results from them.

From a legislative standpoint, seems like the what you describe is probably a cleaner way to write the law from an accountability standpoint, than defining a proper backstop. That said, it sounds like it makes enforcement more difficult at the time of an event for LEO.

 

[cbhausen]

It was a safe direction . . . for them.

Make the Four Rules great again!

I fail to see where following 3 or 4 rules would make any difference in this situation.

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[phylodog]

My brother almost got shot in his garage last year by some people the next road over believing a pallet made for an acceptable backstop. After the round came through the garage and hit the wall beside him (he didn't hear the shot) he walked outside trying to determine what was going on and a couple more rounds hit the house. He figured out real quick what was going on and found some cover while calling the Sheriff's Dept. I don't know that the shooters were charged with anything but they did reimburse my brother for the damages.

 

[churchmouse]

It is. My initial post on INGO resulted from my search for information regarding a situation with a neighbor who thought trees made adequate backstops and shooting into the woods was perfectly acceptable. We had to prove the damage to our property (hired a forester to assess the damage and provide a report for the court) and provide evidence of where the bullets were fired. We were able to document everything, and the neighbor was convicted of criminal recklessness. The judge banned him from shooting on his property for as long as he lives there. A consequence of being convicted of a crime that involved use of a firearm was the loss of his LTCH. It was way more than I was asking for as we just wanted him to build a proper backstop so we could safely enjoy our property again.

My research resulted in some interesting finds...the lack of a law requiring a backstop was surprising, but there is none. Some areas have a local ordinance that requires it, but ours does not. The person shooting is legally responsible for every round that leaves their property and any damage that results from them.

I remember reading that post right after you wrote it Mom.

Epic.....

 

[Airtevron1]

even if pelosi was the backstop??

 

[IndyBeerman]

I didn't see the article, but we had a case here in IN some years ago. A gunsmith was working on a 1911 at home. He finished late and wanted to test fire the gun. He lived in a wooded area, so he went out on his back porch and fired of a round into the woods. Luck was not with him that day. The round traveled 200 yards, hit a house, and then hit a man in the head as he was sleeping in his bed.

Yea, he could have fired into the ground, but no.

Sad story.

If memory serves me correct, this happened right outside of Monrovia, Indiana.

 

[Ark]

Man that's really dumb.

 

[El Conquistador]

A couple years ago I came home and noticed my truck and garage had been shot. Found a jacketed steel core round in my back seat. My place is in a 10 acre woods I own 5 and my neighbor owns the other 5. Our houses are about 150 yards apart but you can't see the houses. My neighbors house had been empty for a few years( never met him) that day I drove around to his house, nobody there. I called the police and made a report. Several weeks later while at the fire station another neighbor called me and said they are shooting again, by the time police got there no one there. This happened again a few weeks after that, same results.
Then one day I can home got some meat out of the freezer in the garage, went in the house and heard shots. I immediately went around to block the drive and called the sheriff deputy( I had his cell number from the last couple of times) he came right away. Told me to go home and he would come talk to me after talking to them. I went home checking for any damage, found 3 new rounds through my garage. Two rounds were right above the chest freezer door where I was standing a couple minutes before. I called the deputy to tell him about the new damage.
Later he came to my house to tell me it was the homeowners son shooting into a washer with the trees for a backstop direct in line of my house. He was shooting a AK-47, that explained the steel core round. The deputy did another report and got me the contact information to the dad. When I call the dad he said he didn't know his son was going out there shooting, he apologize and wanted me to get some estimates. I got a couple estimates for the garage and truck. He tried to weasel out on paying then but decided it was in his best interest to pay now before I took it any further.

 

[Hookeye]

I thought the guy in bed that got shot was hit w a boomer revolver bullet ( like .454 casull or something ).

 

[Lex Concord]

If memory serves me correct, this happened right outside of Monrovia, Indiana.

You are correct, sir. Blazing Star Rd comes to mind...

 

[Lex Concord]

You are correct, sir. Blazing Star Rd comes to mind...

Right area, wrong side of 142...

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo.../25996-morgan-co-man-killed-stray-bullet.html

First hit for the right story was on INGO... go figure...