# Neighbor target shooting in backyard



## Think of Winter (Jun 10, 2004)

I live in a managed community. We have tiny lots (0.2 acres.) Our back neighbors' house is about 30-40 ft from my house. There's a privacy fence in between, but there is lots of space between the slats.

Periodically (like, 2 minutes ago), one of their adolescent boys shoots some kind of rifle and handgun in the backyard. I think they're air guns, or maybe paint guns (we've seen paintballs in our yard.) This seems really unsafe to me. I promptly brought my 2 and 5 yr old dc inside. The kid was out there maybe 10 minutes.

What do you think? We've had no other trouble with these folks, and have never in fact spoken with them. They're almost never outside, and they are on a different street.

How big a deal is it? I know I don't want to confront them, and I'm certain dh doesn't.


----------



## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

By managed community do you mean there's a homeowner's association or similar? If so, report it to them and let them deal with it. Otherwise, I would call the police and find out exactly what's legal wrt shooting stuff in a residential area.


----------



## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

I had this happen in my nonmanaged neighborhood, because they were shooting TOWARDS the shared fence, I brought the kids inside and calle dhte police nonemergency line to find out what the local statutes were.

It was pure adrenaline until I realized they were paintball guns and then I calmed down some (I clearly don't know a lot about guns and rifles and the sounds they make), but the officer reassured me he'd rather have 100 people call for this and it be not as big a deal, then not call and it be some whacko shooting live ammo in a residential neighborhood.

If it was paintballs, I'd probably not make a stink, but if it was a pellet gun, I'd definitely ask the neighbor to not shoot towards the fence, to shoot towards their own house - if they're not comfortable doing that, they probably should be target shooting elsewhere IMO.


----------



## Think of Winter (Jun 10, 2004)

Yes, we have a community association. I called the manager and left a message, then he called back and left a message. He said there are no existing regs, but he could send them a letter.

Dh said they were doing it yesterday, too. He picked up some small plastic pellets from our yard.

I don't want to start trouble. But it freaked me out seeing a boy shooting so close to my dc. He wasn't aiming at our fence or property, but lengthwise down the sliver of his backyard.

Does anyone know if they travel fast enough to cause harm?


----------



## Miss Information (May 17, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Think of Winter* 
Yes, we have a community association. I called the manager and left a message, then he called back and left a message. He said there are no existing regs, but he could send them a letter.

Dh said they were doing it yesterday, too. He picked up some small plastic pellets from our yard.

I don't want to start trouble. But it freaked me out seeing a boy shooting so close to my dc. He wasn't aiming at our fence or property, but lengthwise down the sliver of his backyard.

Does anyone know if they travel fast enough to cause harm?

Here's some info on the type of gun it could be - an airsoft gun which shoots plastic pellets.

http://www.airsoftgunhelp.com/airsoft-gun-safety.htm

They should be treated like real guns.

They travel between 200 mph to 400 mph. The biggest concern is for the eyes and teeth with the plastic pellets because you can damage eyes and teeth with them. I'm sure it wouldn't feel good to get hit elsewhere, but it probably won't break skin.


----------



## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

This doesn't require a "confrontation." Just walk over, introduce yourself, and let them know you've been hearing some kind of gun and finding paint pellets in your yard and you'd just like to let them know you have small children, please be careful and aim away from your yard, blah blah. It's a totally reasonable request.


----------



## Think of Winter (Jun 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NiteNicole* 
This doesn't require a "confrontation." Just walk over, introduce yourself, and let them know you've been hearing some kind of gun and finding paint pellets in your yard and you'd just like to let them know you have small children, please be careful and aim away from your yard, blah blah. It's a totally reasonable request.

I guess we disagree about what "confront" means. They know we have young children, and I haven't just heard the guns, I've seen them. In fact, I'm looking at and listening to one right now. I don't see how me asking them to be careful will make me feel any better.







:

Thank you for the information, Miss Information. The rifle is an an automatic, since it's firing repeatedly and rapidly. It looks like this one (I can see the orange tip.) Now he's got the gun, and is aiming at the tree above his head.


----------



## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Think of Winter* 
Now he's got the gun, and is aiming at the tree above his head.


Evolution in action.


----------



## Think of Winter (Jun 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alfabetsoup* 
Evolution in action.

Better their kid than mine, I guess. But seriously, it shows how careful they are.







I have done some target shooting myself and really enjoyed it. But I was not within 25 ft of children playing in their own yard, I was out in the middle of nowhere.


----------



## Miss Information (May 17, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Think of Winter* 
I guess we disagree about what "confront" means. They know we have young children, and I haven't just heard the guns, I've seen them. In fact, I'm looking at and listening to one right now. I don't see how me asking them to be careful will make me feel any better.







:

Thank you for the information, Miss Information. The rifle is an an automatic, since it's firing repeatedly and rapidly. It looks like this one (I can see the orange tip.) Now he's got the gun, and is aiming at the tree above his head.

I'd call up the police department non-emergency number and see what they suggest. Perhaps if your neighbor doesn't respect the safety of your children, you could lodge a formal complaint. Take pictures of the pellets in your yard. Tell them what type of gun you suspect it is and tell them you know they can cause serious eye injuries and your worried about your kids. Maybe the parents don't even know how serious of damage they can do (print out the safety sheet and use it to back you up).

And yeah, I've lodged at least 1 complaint against a neighbor for a different reason (partying at 2 am on a Monday morning and I had to go to testify in court that day for work). Sometimes you have to get help reminding people that they aren't the only people that live there.


----------



## lishoprah (Feb 13, 2009)

Are you in the city limits? Some towns don't allow any target practising within the city limits. I don't know about airsoft guns, but in my home town you can't shoot bb or pellet guns or even archery practice inside the city limits. When my cousin was about 15 he shot his bb gun a few times in his backyard (his parents came out and took it away/grounded him), the neighbors complained, and the police pulled him out of school the next day. If your city has a similar law that would make it easy to deal with.

Melissa


----------



## Think of Winter (Jun 10, 2004)

I called the police station. Thanks again, M.I., for showing me what they are. The officer said they use them in training, so he knew what I was talking about. There are no local regs about this, unfortunately. He offered to come talk to them, but I'm not ready for that yet. I think I'll get up my nerve and talk to the parents about them using the guns by themselves when my dc are in the backyard.


----------



## Miss Information (May 17, 2005)

Your welcome, I'm glad it helped explain things to the PD, but I'm sorry it didn't resolve things.


----------

