St Pete man builds gun range in yard, neighbors outraged

WFLA.com ^ | 02/01/2015 | Melanie Michael

[GIdget2004]

The Lakewood Estates neighborhood is filled with families and children. On any given day, you'll see kids climbing trees and playing on swing sets.

That's why news of a residential gun range did not sit well with neighbors.

“I don't know if this idiot is going to start popping off rounds,” said Patrick Leary. “I'm furious.”

Moms and dads are extremely upset after their 21-year-old neighbor, Joseph Carannate, told them he built a homemade gun range.

“I don't want to hurt myself or any neighbors. I don't want to hurt anybody. I just want to use this as my enjoyment,” Carannate told News Channel 8. “I don't want to have to go to a gun range, when I can just go outside my door.”

Carannate wants to fire his 9mm in his St. Petersburg yard, which happens to be just feet away from children. According to St. Petersburg Police, legally he's allowed to do it.

“I wouldn't have done all this if I didn't know the reaction,” Carannate told us, who claims he has all the proper paperwork for his weapon.

He says he will inform neighbors when he intends to fire his gun, which he hopes to do every other weekend.

Residents tell us that's not good enough.

Leary added, “You heard him say, I'll tell the neighbors when I'm getting ready to fire. What, do we gather our children and hide? Ridiculous. C'mon.”

[Regal]

“They think your freedom to use your property ends if it’s anywhere near their property.”
____

If the gun range owner has an absolute right to any use of his property, why build a gun range? Why not just set up cans on a stump and fire away anywhere on his property, at any time he wants?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Were those same neighbors up in arms when our leader let people come here with Ebola, Measles, Tuberculosis and goodness knows what else? When he permitted the Muslim Brotherhood to encamp all over this country? When he stopped any pretense of enforcing immigration laws? When he spied on them? Of course not! Hell, half of them probably voted for him.

[TexasGator]

“I’m pretty crazy, but I don’t think even I would try to build a gun range in my back yard on a lot that small.”

Watch a video on local news. It was a few boards trying to contain a 3x3x3 mound of dirt. Very bad setup.

[Political Junkie Too]

Is it the gun or is it the noise? If it's the noise, what it the guy set up a woodshop in his backyard and you heard the whacking of hammers on nails instead? Same sound, different source.

-PJ

[George from New England]

This guy doesn’t even appear to own the property, just a renter from what I research.

[KoRn]

Very true.

I’m ALL FOR firearms. I own a bunch myself, and shoot in my backyard all the time, but there are no other homes near me.

Even if it was legal, I wouldn’t shoot in my backyard if I had houses right next to mine, or at least I wouldn’t do it much, or often. I’d check with them to see if it was a good time before I did. If it could bother them, I’d go to a proper range, wait until they wasn’t home, or check in with them to see if it would be a problem. There is nothing much worse than having a bad neighbor. I SURE as hell wouldn’t want to be one.

If you’re a bad neighbor, and those around you hate you with a passion; do you REALLY think they’ll call the police when someone is breaking into your house while you’re out of town or away for an extended period of time? They wouldn’t probably just look the other way with a chuckle.(I would)

[qam1]

Suppose instead of a gun range, this guy build a concert stage and every night he blared the music until 4 in the morning

Would that be OK because it is private property?

or

Suppose every weekend some gay Liberal had 50 of his closest gay friends over for one big outdoor orgy

Would that be OK because it is private property?

Sorry there are limits

[driftdiver]

I’m in Tampa. The lots around here are typically 55-70 feet wide. The homes will be 8-10 feet apart.

The law around here is you can shoot if you are in the county (vs city) and the round impacts on your land.

Your right to do what you want ends at your lot line. Impact my land or my family and you’d best be prepared for highly accurate return fire.

[mountn man]

The Lakewood Estates neighborhood is filled with families and children. On any given day, you'll see kids climbing trees and playing on swing sets.

Bullsh!!te...
They federally legislated tree climbing back in the '80's.

Insurance companies outlawed swing sets in 2000.

Bubble wrap mandates for kids, begin in 2016.
For adults in 2018.

[Steamburg]

Perhaps the neighborhood might want to be a bit more friendly to real gun businesses with real gun ranges or municipal ranges. I’ll bet that thought never crossed their little minds.

I do think that if the media wanted to project an accurate image of the dangers that they could have afforded an areal view/map, etc. As it is they don’t have to let facts get in the way.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Your second example would get a government grant and an award from our lovely first wife.

[driftdiver]

Endangering other peoples lives isn’t a right.

[tumblindice]

The `NIMBY’ neighbors might offer to buy him a Lone Wolf threaded barrel, silencer and pay the federal fee, if it’s the noise. If he’s running a Glock, the barrel is under $200.

Otherwise they can go pound sand. This brother in arms is shooting in his backyard.
Maybe someone might e-mail him so he can make this offer.
I would offer the latter advice.
Legally the neighbors, uh, don’t have a leg to stand on, unless it’s on a nuisance theory. (And that might fly.)

[Cementjungle]

This is for certain going to end up in court. You’ve got two property rights in conflict. I don’t want to hear gunfire all Saturday and Sunday from the next door neighbor. I like guns, but this guy is thoughtless.

I have a neighbor with six little kids, a few of which are real screamers. To make things worse, they have an outdoor basketball court... and that can be pretty noisy too.

[WayneS]

I was afraid of that.

1/4 acre is basically a 100’ by 100’ square. Assuming there is a house and driveway on the lot, that does not leave a whole lot of space to set up a safe gun range.

It appears this guy is so wrapped up in his own rights that he doesn’t realize these rights are coupled with responsibilities.

I hope the guy does not expect me to defend him if he accidentally shoots some poor sap who’s exercising his OWN property rights in HIS own back yard.

[driftdiver]

Actually there are plenty of gun ranges he could go to within easy driving distance. Ones which are safe and don’t endanger the neighbor kids.

[Bobalu]

IMO this guy is a fool and a bad neighbor.

I’m out in the country with a 75ft high hill behind the house.
I could build a gun range in my backyard without being a danger or a nuisance....but you can’t do that on a small lot in town.

It was a long while back but I don’t remember being that stupid when I was 21.

[Flick Lives]

Gun range? Haha. As you say, it is little more than a mount do dirt holding up a sheet of plywood and a few old wood pallets.

Now the really cool way to go would be to build a range in your basement...

[TigersEye]

Watch a video on local news. It was a few boards trying to contain a 3x3x3 mound of dirt. Very bad setup.

His construction skills are nonexistent. All of the sand was falling out of the pallets he tacked together.

[ClearCase_guy]

But is he endangering other peoples lives?
Is he breaking the law?

I see a whole lot of people here who just seem eager to control what their neighbor does. Music? Guns? Parties? I don't know -- I don't care -- all I want to do is control my neighbor.

That's America in the 21st century.

The laws don't matter. We're not a nation of laws anymore. The important thing is that I get to be the boss of you. Because that's the NEW American dream.