Neighbors urge Randolph County to act on noise, safety concerns at Fuller Mill Road shooting range

Residents living near the Triad Action Shooting Club on Fuller Mill Road asked the Randolph County Board of Commissioners on July 1 to take steps to reduce noise and other disturbances they say have persisted for years.

In public comment, Isaac Hoffman told the commissioners he has heard firearms at his property since at least 2001 and said the construction of covered shooting shelters about 2015 increased the frequency and intensity of noise. "This is not about guns — I'm a gun owner — this is about they bring a gun range, put it in my backyard, and tell me they're gonna come and shoot 365 days a year, and there's nothing we can do about it," Hoffman said.

Other residents described property damage and safety scares. Larry Cahoon said explosions near his neighborhood shook his home and "knocked stuff off the shelves," and said the activity was close enough that "you can throw rocks at" the range from nearby houses. Topaz Bott told commissioners that a large discharge about 500 feet from her home in late May damaged her eyes; she asked the board to "please address it."

Speakers said they have pursued multiple avenues to press the county for action and that media coverage and contacts with state officials have so far not produced relief. Amy Wang told the board she and neighbors had put up signs to alert range users to the problem; the signs were removed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, she said, and she questioned whether someone with ties to the range had prompted the removal. Fritz Wang urged commissioners to "find out for yourself the facts and come to your own independent conclusion," and said restricting noise would improve neighbors' quality of life.

Commissioners heard more than once that county staff had told residents there were limits on what the county could do. Speakers disputed that account, citing examples from other North Carolina counties that they said had acted on similar complaints. Several residents said they had recorded and publicly documented the problem over months.

The public comment period precedes the board's regular agenda; commissioners did not take immediate action with a motion during the meeting on this item. Chairman Frey responded during the public comment exchange to an accusation about political ties between a landowner and a commissioner, saying the person named was an acquaintance but not a friend, and directed questions about specific enforcement or permitting to staff.

Why it matters: Neighbors say ongoing shooting activity is interrupting sleep, lowering property values and creating safety and noise issues for households near the range. The comments also raise questions about county enforcement practices and transparency around permitting.

What the meeting record shows: Residents pressed the board during the formal public comment period; staff and commissioners acknowledged receipt of the complaints but no ordinance change, permit revocation, or formal enforcement action on the range was proposed or voted on at the July 1 meeting. The board continued with its regular agenda after public comment.