People who live in a Hillsboro subdivision say the noise from a nearby gun range is a constant nuisance and possible danger.
Tucked off of Highway BB just northwest of Hillsboro is a small outdoor gun range owned by the city.
"Some weeks [the shooting] is quite often, especially on weekends. Sometimes you hear a fully automatic," said Steven Ramsey, who lives in the Raintree Plantation Subdivision behind the gun range.
Law enforcement departments from around the area use the piece of land to train with firearms year round. That includes more than 151 Jefferson County deputies, police academy cadets, and SWAT officers, as well as officers from Herculaneum Police Department.
"There could be a possibility one of those bullets could stray in this direction. I just hope it's safe," said Ramsey.
Captain Gary Higginbotham with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in the 20 plus years the range has been here, there haven' t been any incidents. But there have been plenty of complaints.
"We have to qualify 151 deputies twice a year down there. Those are usually rifle qualifications so we try to work in daylight saving time so we work earlier in the evening. Try not to stay as late," said Higginbotham.
Unfortunately for Ramsey and his neighbors, the city has no plans to move the range.
"It's cost-effective. We don' t have the money to build a range anyplace else or purchase any land so right now we're stuck with what we have," said Higginbotham.
While police are stuck with the range, Ramsey and other residents, meanwhile, are stuck listening to this symphony of gunfire.
The story got us wondering if there's anything you can do if you live around a shooting range. We checked Missouri law and the answer is no.
In fact, gun range owners and shooters are immune to any criminal or civil liability over the noise. That's not the case if someone is hurt, or something is damaged by bullets fired on a range.
