Stray Bullets at Oak Ridge Marina

[analog_kidd]

There is a piece of TVA property near my house that is directly across the river from the Oak Ridge Marina on the Clinch River. The land is approved by TVA for public use, including hunting and camping. During hunting season there are always a few trucks parked in the lot.

My wife and I were coming home from dinner Friday evening, and there were a couple of cars parked in the lot. I thought it was just some hunters doing pre-season recon. As we got closer, I realized one of the cars was a Sheriff cruiser, and the officer was a SWAT member and wearing body armour. He was at his trunk and pulled out an AR-15 and started running to the field. Just about that time another Sheriff pulls up, and we passed another down the road. As we drove past the field, I heard lot of gun fire. Not sure if it was full auto or not, but it was fast and steady. I figured it was some local out trying a new gun. I know TVA says hunting is OK there, but for some reason I don't think they allow plinking.

Now, I can't find this on the news anywhere,  but I'm making an educated guess based on the timeline. I read on FaceBook about several people attending a birthday party for a kid over at the playground at the marina. They said they were sitting in the pavillion when they heard gunfire and then a bullet tore through the roof. They were standing there wondering what was going on, when another bullet went through the roof. They gathered the kids and hid behind a wall and called the cops. While the cop was there, another bullet whizzed by.

The FaceBook post claimed an arrest was made. 

I'm betting that TVA will now make firearms, even hunting, off limits on this property. Which, sucks, because there are a lot of safety-minded hunters that use the land. In fact, I've never been much of a hunter, but bought a hunting rifle last year, planning on hunting there myself for the first time this season.

[Murgatroy]

Sometimes it only takes one moron to ruin it all for everyone.

[btq96r]

3 hours ago, Murgatroy said:

Sometimes it only takes one moron to ruin it all for everyone.

And the gun owners community at large isn't exactly short on moron's.

[gjohnsoniv]

3 hours ago, btq96r said:

And the gun owners community at large isn't exactly short on moron's.

Sadly correct. Or we're under the magnifying glass more closely. 

[TNWNGR]

5 hours ago, btq96r said:

And the gun owners community at large isn't exactly short on moron's.

Very true...

[analog_kidd]

http://wate.com/2016/09/04/3-year-olds-birthday-party-disrupted-by-bullets/

I finally found a news article about this. According to the video, there was NOT an arrest made.

[Jamie Jackson]

You wouldn't think that firing into a safe backstop would require having a genius on hand...

We (gunowners) can be our own worse enemies at times. 

[analog_kidd]

http://oakridgetoday.com/2016/09/04/police-evacuate-residents-from-marina-pavilion-after-gunshots-reported-but-say-no-injuries-damages-reported-or-found/

I found another news article about this. Turns out the "bullet hole" in the roof was not recent. 

On the FaceBook, someone was commenting (speculating?) that the shooters were dove hunting, which is perfectly legal there. If that is the case, then there would have only been bird shot falling, not bullets. I did a little Google map estimating, and it looks like it is about 1000 yds from where they were shooting from to the pavilion. Not being a dove hunter, does it sound legit that bird shot would carry that far?

My suspicion is that the folks at the marina heard the gun fire and maybe thought they heard bullets, or they had a few pellets fall around them. Either way, I'm sure they were terrified, and I'm glad they did the right thing by taking cover with the kids. 

This may just turn out to be much todo about nothing.

[macville]

4 hours ago, analog_kidd said:

http://oakridgetoday.com/2016/09/04/police-evacuate-residents-from-marina-pavilion-after-gunshots-reported-but-say-no-injuries-damages-reported-or-found/

I found another news article about this. Turns out the "bullet hole" in the roof was not recent. 

On the FaceBook, someone was commenting (speculating?) that the shooters were dove hunting, which is perfectly legal there. If that is the case, then there would have only been bird shot falling, not bullets. I did a little Google map estimating, and it looks like it is about 1000 yds from where they were shooting from to the pavilion. Not being a dove hunter, does it sound legit that bird shot would carry that far?

My suspicion is that the folks at the marina heard the gun fire and maybe thought they heard bullets, or they had a few pellets fall around them. Either way, I'm sure they were terrified, and I'm glad they did the right thing by taking cover with the kids. 

This may just turn out to be much todo about nothing.

I believe birdshot doesn't go more than a few hundred yards. Even if it does, it's very harmless. I know hunters from church that said they've been rained on with birdshot from 200 yards and it's nothing (rained on, not shot straight at.)

[peejman]

5 minutes ago, macville said:

I believe birdshot doesn't go more than a few hundred yards. Even if it does, it's very harmless. I know hunters from church that said they've been rained on with birdshot from 200 yards and it's nothing (rained on, not shot straight at.)

Bird shot is absolutely NOT harmless. Should someone happen to be looking up at the time, they could easily lose an eye. 

I've been peppered by stupid dove hunters from a couple hundred yards away. I had a handful of little welts on my arms and the back of my neck. 

[Omega]

1000 Yards?  Highly improbable,  we used to dove hunt a pit and we would all get around it, on the thin side it was less than a 100 yards and we would get rained on but never hit with any force.  Of course that was just #7 shot in 12 gauge, if someone was using something with a bit more zip I could see it reaching a couple hundred yards but even then I doubt it could do any real damage.  Now duck hunters would reach much further, but duck is not in season and still doubt even duck load can reach 1000 yards.

[BrasilNuts]

1 hour ago, Omega said:

1000 Yards?  Highly improbable,  we used to dove hunt a pit and we would all get around it, on the thin side it was less than a 100 yards and we would get rained on but never hit with any force.  Of course that was just #7 shot in 12 gauge, if someone was using something with a bit more zip I could see it reaching a couple hundred yards but even then I doubt it could do any real damage.  Now duck hunters would reach much further, but duck is not in season and still doubt even duck load can reach 1000 yards.

If I am not mistaken goose was in season at the time and there are goose a plenty in that area.  

I've hunted that property several times and there is a field just across the river from that park, maybe 1200' away.  My first thought when I read the post on FB was dove hunters raining #7.5 down and most people have no idea what a bullet going past their head sounds like.