Skip to content
NOWCAST WYFF News 4 Today
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Upstate neighbors files lawsuit against nearby gun range

Neighbors in Salem, SC, are firing back against a local gun range.

Upstate neighbors files lawsuit against nearby gun range

Neighbors in Salem, SC, are firing back against a local gun range.

MOMENTS OF STOLEN CAR CRASHED FOLLOWING A POLICE CHASE. IT LEFT TWO TEENAGERS DEAD. WE BEGIN WITH WEATHER TONIGHT. A SUMMER-LIKE WEEK AHEAD. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRIS JUSTICE JOINS US. CHRIS, THE HEAT CRANKS BACK UP INTO MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND. YEAH, AND SO DOES THE HUMIDITY, WHICH MEANS WE’RE GOING TO SEE SOME THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON, TWO, THREE, 4:00 LIKE WE DID TODAY. SATELLITE AND RADAR SHOWS. WE’VE GOT A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS, BUT THE BULK OF THE HEAVY STORMS, I MEAN, IT HAS BEEN POURING ALMOST ENDLESSLY THIS EVENING, SIX PLUS HOURS OF RAIN IN THE SAME LOCATIONS RIGHT ALONG I-95, HEADING DOWN THROUGH GEORGIA INTO FLORIDA. THEY’VE HAD SOME PRETTY SERIOUS STORMS AND SOME FLOOD CONCERNS THERE TONIGHT. WE JUST HAVE A FEW LINGERING SPOTTY AREAS OF DRIZZLE. IT IS A DRY NIGHT IN GREENVILLE RIGHT NOW. LOOKING OUT AT MAIN STREET WHERE ARTISTS FEAR IS SET UP. A BEAUTIFUL START TO THE DAY TOMORROW. BUT DO KNOW THAT BY THE AFTERNOON YOU’LL DODGE A SHOWER HERE OR A SHOWER THERE. NO GUARANTEE THAT IT’LL BE RIGHT OVER GREENVILLE. IN FACT, THEY’RE GOING TO BE LIKE THE SUMMERTIME HIT OR MISS TOMORROW. IT’S 69 IN GREENVILLE, 67 IN ASHEVILLE. QUITE REFRESHING WHEN YOU WAKE UP TOMORROW, 64 DEGREES. BUT THAT HUMIDITY AND THAT HEAT WILL CRANK UP QUICKLY AS THE SUN COMES UP EARLIER. NOW, 628 COMING UP, I’VE GOT HOT WEATHER FOR BOTH DAYS. THIS WEEKEND, I’LL SHOW YOU WHEN THAT MEANS YOU’LL SEE SOME STORMS. CHRIS, THANK YOU. UPSTATE NEIGHBORS ARE FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE GUN RANGE NEXT DOOR. THEY SAY IT’S RUINED THEIR PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. CARLOS FLORES INITIALLY BROKE THIS STORY. A YEAR AGO AND JOINS US NOW. SO, CARLOS, WHAT’S HAPPENING? WELL, NIGEL CARROLL, A YEAR AGO, WE BROUGHT YOU THE STORY OF OCTAVIA CHILDRESS OF OCONEE COUNTY. SHE, ALONG WITH MANY OF HER NEIGHBORS, RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT DISRUPTION FROM A NEARBY GUN RANGE. AND AFTER TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION. THEY’VE OFFICIALLY FILED A LAWSUIT. NOW, NEIGHBORS HERE IN SALEM ARE FIRING BACK AGAINST A LOCAL GUN RANGE INSTEAD OF A GUN. THEY’RE USING THE COURTS AND FILED A LAWSUIT THIS MORNING. THE LAWSUIT IS REALLY ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS. I MEAN, IT’S ABOUT A PERSON’S RIGHT IN THIS COUNTRY. IT’S A FUNDAMENTAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT THAT YOU CAN OWN PROPERTY AND USE IT TO YOUR ENJOYMENT AS YOU NEED TO. THE GROUP OF NEIGHBORS ARE SUING FOR SIX SPECIFIC REASONS, RANGING FROM NEGLIGENCE TO BEING ASSAULTED. FORCED. MOORE IS ONE OF NINE PEOPLE SUING THE GUN RANGE. HE SAYS HE’S NOT ONLY WORRIED ABOUT HIS HORSE’S SAFETY, BUT HIS OWN. EVERY TIME I GET ON ONE, I’M KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT THEM STARTING TO SHOOT AND A HORSE JUMPING OUT FROM UNDER ME. BUT HE WANTS TO BE CLEAR. THIS LAWSUIT ISN’T ABOUT OWNING A GUN. NOBODY AROUND HERE THAT I KNOW OF IS AGAINST THE TWO. A YOU KNOW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I’M A LIFE MEMBER OF THE NRA. THIS ISN’T ABOUT THAT. THIS ISN’T ABOUT THAT AT ALL. THIS IS ABOUT THE COMFORTABLE ENJOYMENT OF MY PROPERTY. I VISITED THE RANGE TO SPEAK WITH THE OWNER, BUT NO ONE WAS THERE. A YEAR AGO, COUNTY COUNCILMAN JOHN ELLIOTT TOLD ME THERE HANDS WERE TIED ON THIS ISSUE TODAY HE RELEASED A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE NEIGHBORS. ITRILLIONEADS. I AM 100% IN FAVOR OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT, BUT THIS GUN RANGE IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND IT LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF STRAY BULLETS. THE NOISE IS INCREDIBLE AND DEAFENING. ON THE WEEKENDS I HAVE NO ILL WILL TOWARDS THE DURHAMS, BUT I HOPE THIS LAWSUIT ENDS THE ISSUE AMICABLY WITH ALL PARTIES GETTING WHAT THEY WANT. MY CLIENTS HAVE TRIED FOR YEARS AT THIS POINT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE WITH THIS AND REALLY HAVE HAD NO LUCK. SO I THINK THIS IS KIND OF WHAT THEY FINALLY CAME TO, IS IT WAS GOING TO TAKE A LAWSUIT TO GET SOMETHING DONE. NEIGHBORS SAY THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN END IS IF THE GUN RANGE SHUTS DOWN WHEN I’M SHOOTING HORSES OR RIDING HORSES. NO, NOBODY KNOWS IT. I DON’T DISTURB A YOU KNOW, ANYBODY, RIGHT. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY START SHOOTING, THEY DISTURB EVERYBODY. NOW, I’VE REACHED OUT TO THE OWNER OF THE GUN RANGE FOR COMMENTS. I’M WAITING TO HEAR BACK. YOU CAN READ THE FULL LAWSUIT ON WIFI FOR
Advertisement
Upstate neighbors files lawsuit against nearby gun range

Neighbors in Salem, SC, are firing back against a local gun range.

Neighbors in Salem, South Carolina, are firing back against a local gun range. They are voicing that the gun range has ruined their peaceful neighborhood and that enough is enough. Instead of a gun, they are using the courts and filed a lawsuit Friday morning."The lawsuit is really about property rights. It's about a person's right in this country, a fundamental constitutional right that you can own property and use it to your enjoyment as you need to," attorney Matt Ozment said.The group of neighbors is suing for six specific reasons. They range from negligence to assault.Forrest Moore is one of the nine people suing the gun range. He says not only is he worried about his horse's safety but his own."Every time I get on one, I'm getting worried of them shooting and a horse jumping out from under me," Moore said.However, he wants to be clear this lawsuit isn't about owning a gun."No one here I know of is against the 2A. I am a life member of the NRA. This isn't about that. This isn't about that at all. This is about the comfortable enjoyment of my property," Moore said. A year ago, Oconee County Councilman John Elliot said their hands were tied on this issue. Friday, he released a statement in support of the neighbors."I am 100% in favor of the second amendment but this gun range is in the wrong place. People who live around it live in constant fear of stray bullets. The noise is incredible and deafening on weekends. I have no ill will towards the Durhams but I hope this lawsuit ends the issue amicably with all parties getting what they want.""Our clients have tried for years at this point to try to figure out something that could be done with this but really had no luck. I think this is kind of what they finally came to. It was going to take a lawsuit to get something done," Ozment said.Neighbors said the only way this can end is if the gun range shuts down."When I am shoeing horses or riding horses, nobody knows it. I don't disturb anybody. However, when they start shooting, it disturbs everybody," Moore said.We have reached out to the owner of the gun range for comments. We are waiting to hear back.You can read the full lawsuit here.

Neighbors in Salem, South Carolina, are firing back against a local gun range. They are voicing that the gun range has ruined their peaceful neighborhood and that enough is enough.

Instead of a gun, they are using the courts and filed a lawsuit Friday morning.

Advertisement

"The lawsuit is really about property rights. It's about a person's right in this country, a fundamental constitutional right that you can own property and use it to your enjoyment as you need to," attorney Matt Ozment said.

The group of neighbors is suing for six specific reasons. They range from negligence to assault.

Forrest Moore is one of the nine people suing the gun range. He says not only is he worried about his horse's safety but his own.

"Every time I get on one, I'm getting worried of them shooting and a horse jumping out from under me," Moore said.

However, he wants to be clear this lawsuit isn't about owning a gun.

"No one here I know of is against the 2A. I am a life member of the NRA. This isn't about that. This isn't about that at all. This is about the comfortable enjoyment of my property," Moore said.

A year ago, Oconee County Councilman John Elliot said their hands were tied on this issue. Friday, he released a statement in support of the neighbors.

"I am 100% in favor of the second amendment but this gun range is in the wrong place. People who live around it live in constant fear of stray bullets. The noise is incredible and deafening on weekends. I have no ill will towards the Durhams but I hope this lawsuit ends the issue amicably with all parties getting what they want."

"Our clients have tried for years at this point to try to figure out something that could be done with this but really had no luck. I think this is kind of what they finally came to. It was going to take a lawsuit to get something done," Ozment said.

Neighbors said the only way this can end is if the gun range shuts down.

"When I am shoeing horses or riding horses, nobody knows it. I don't disturb anybody. However, when they start shooting, it disturbs everybody," Moore said.

We have reached out to the owner of the gun range for comments. We are waiting to hear back.

You can read the full lawsuit here.