Car Knocker
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Bullets pierce shed near shooting range
By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
Gale Peckham says the bullet holes behind him in the shed outside his Kearns home may have been caused by stray fire from the Impact Guns shooting range. The range has ceased fire since the holes appeared Nov 26. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Gale Peckham says he was looking outside his kitchen window when he heard the second ping.
"We've been hit," he told his wife.
There are two bullet holes in Peckham's shed that he believes came from the firing range behind his house in Kearns.
The range's manager said he doesn't know whether the bullets came from the range, but has voluntarily ceased shooting there as the business ponders whether to renovate the range or turn it into retail space.
"We've been shooting here for five years with .50-caliber [Browning machine guns] and .30-06s and we don't know of a bullet ever escaping," said Clark Aposhian, the manager of Impact Guns, 4075 W. 4715 South.
Peckham, 51, and his wife say they've lived in their home in the 4000 West block of 4715 South for 28 years. The gun shop and firing range moved behind their home about five years ago. Peckham and his wife, Gay, said they can hear the gunshots from inside their home.
The business has changed owners a couple of times. The current owner purchased the business, formerly known as Totally Awesome Guns and Range, and changed its name to Impact Guns in September. Peckham said he doesn't know of a bullet ever escaping the range.
About 1 p.m. on Nov. 26, Peckham said, he was sitting in his kitchen when he heard a ping. Something hit the aluminum siding on the shed attached to his home. He suspected it was a bullet.
A minute later, Peckham claims, he heard a second hit. He called the range and told them to stop firing. Then he went to look at his shed.
On the outbuilding's north side are two holes about a half-inch in diameter. One is 6 feet 4 inches off the ground and the other is 6 feet 11 inches. Peckham reported the damage to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Peckham has a photograph of Impact Guns' rear concrete wall, the one facing his house, that he said he took the day after his shed was hit. It shows two small holes in the range's concrete wall. Peckham said he noticed the holes the day his house was hit and thinks they're bullet holes, too.
On Monday, the higher hole in Impact Guns' wall appeared to have been patched. There was a piece of plywood covering where the lower hole appeared.
Aposhian said the business's owner was already planning to renovate the range to improve such things as handicap accessibility, lighting and the spectator area, and decided to close the range after Peckham reported his shed was hit.
Aposhian said the public has nothing to fear from the range.
"It will not reopen until we are 100 percent satisfied that nothing left our building or nothing can leave our building," he said.
Peckham doesn't think gun enthusiasts should be allowed to shoot at Impact Guns unless the range is moved underground.
"I don't care if they have a gun store there," Peckham said, "but I don't think they ought to have a shooting range above ground in a residential neighborhood."
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By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
Gale Peckham says the bullet holes behind him in the shed outside his Kearns home may have been caused by stray fire from the Impact Guns shooting range. The range has ceased fire since the holes appeared Nov 26. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Gale Peckham says he was looking outside his kitchen window when he heard the second ping.
"We've been hit," he told his wife.
There are two bullet holes in Peckham's shed that he believes came from the firing range behind his house in Kearns.
The range's manager said he doesn't know whether the bullets came from the range, but has voluntarily ceased shooting there as the business ponders whether to renovate the range or turn it into retail space.
"We've been shooting here for five years with .50-caliber [Browning machine guns] and .30-06s and we don't know of a bullet ever escaping," said Clark Aposhian, the manager of Impact Guns, 4075 W. 4715 South.
Peckham, 51, and his wife say they've lived in their home in the 4000 West block of 4715 South for 28 years. The gun shop and firing range moved behind their home about five years ago. Peckham and his wife, Gay, said they can hear the gunshots from inside their home.
The business has changed owners a couple of times. The current owner purchased the business, formerly known as Totally Awesome Guns and Range, and changed its name to Impact Guns in September. Peckham said he doesn't know of a bullet ever escaping the range.
About 1 p.m. on Nov. 26, Peckham said, he was sitting in his kitchen when he heard a ping. Something hit the aluminum siding on the shed attached to his home. He suspected it was a bullet.
A minute later, Peckham claims, he heard a second hit. He called the range and told them to stop firing. Then he went to look at his shed.
On the outbuilding's north side are two holes about a half-inch in diameter. One is 6 feet 4 inches off the ground and the other is 6 feet 11 inches. Peckham reported the damage to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Peckham has a photograph of Impact Guns' rear concrete wall, the one facing his house, that he said he took the day after his shed was hit. It shows two small holes in the range's concrete wall. Peckham said he noticed the holes the day his house was hit and thinks they're bullet holes, too.
On Monday, the higher hole in Impact Guns' wall appeared to have been patched. There was a piece of plywood covering where the lower hole appeared.
Aposhian said the business's owner was already planning to renovate the range to improve such things as handicap accessibility, lighting and the spectator area, and decided to close the range after Peckham reported his shed was hit.
Aposhian said the public has nothing to fear from the range.
"It will not reopen until we are 100 percent satisfied that nothing left our building or nothing can leave our building," he said.
Peckham doesn't think gun enthusiasts should be allowed to shoot at Impact Guns unless the range is moved underground.
"I don't care if they have a gun store there," Peckham said, "but I don't think they ought to have a shooting range above ground in a residential neighborhood."
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