I was alarmed this past weekend [July 16 and 17] by the kid next door shooting an air rifle from his deck at the corner of Tollgate and Meadow Glen.
He was shooting toward Tollgate without the benefit of a backstop. There weren’t any targets set up in his yard.
The shooting first came to my attention Saturday. On Sunday, when it started again, there were bicyclists and pedestrians using Tollgate. I told the kid to stop shooting immediately or I would call the sheriff. I also told him to take his shooting to an approved area.
His response was it’s his yard and he can shoot if he wants to. Shortly after my warnings to him, he came back out into the yard and up on the deck, instructing a woman how to use the air rifle scope from both locations. She shot several BBs towards Tollgate, too.
It is my opinion this behavior is totally unacceptable and is not authorized in a neighborhood. I would like to know the position of the Sheriff’s Department regarding target shooting in close proximity to homes, people and pets. I also fear for the wildlife that might have been the intended targets.
Has the Town Crier published information on target shooting in town? Are there publications I might access that could better inform me as to my options when this happens again?
I appreciate community input on this serious subject. Thank you.
Susan De Antonio
Idyllwild
Editor’s note: Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Hemet Station’s Sgt. Steve Mike wrote, “According to county Ordinance 514 Section 1(a), the definition of a firearm includes ‘Air Gun’and ‘Pellet Gun.’ Per the described incident from the citizen inquiry, the juvenile would be in violation of RIV. CO. 514.8 and 514.10.
“Anyone feeling they would like law enforcement to enforce this section should call the nonemergency dispatch number at 776-1099,” Sgt. Mike said.
