What to Know
Just before kids were supposed to head back to school, a new middle school noticed a terrifying issue: two stray bullets had hit the building over the summer. It seems that the bullets came from a nearby gun range, which has obviously raised concerns about student and staff safety.
The school, Floyd Barksdale Middle School in Texas, is a new one. It’s located within close proximity to a nearby gun range. In an effort to ensure that the school is safe enough for students to attend this year, the Northwest Independent School District recently filed a lawsuit against Quail Creek Range.
The gun range has been in that location for years.
Floyd Barksdale Middle School might be new to the area, but Quail Creek Range isn’t. According to Fox 4, the gun range has been in that area since 1980. It is located 1.2 miles from the middle school.
The school distract has said that it filed the lawsuit against the gun range to put pressure on the owner to implement better safety features. Obviously, the priority is protecting students, staff, and families, so the school district is asking for temporary restrictions for the gun range. In a statement shared with Fox 4, the school district also clarified that it is not trying to get the gun range to close.
“Northwest ISD has no intention of attempting to shut down the gun range, we are merely ensuring that reasonable safety standards are met for the protection of our students, staff and community,” the statement read.
The stray bullets found at the school were from two separate days.
The first incident happened in May, when a bullet was found in the school’s brick wall, NBC 5 reported. According to the news outlet, the district filed a police report after finding this one bullet, and then, the same thing happened again a couple months later.
In July, a bullet hole was found in a window surrounded by cracked glass. It’s believed that the bullets ended up at the school because of people inside the shooting range shooting in the school’s direction.
Because of the district’s lawsuit, the gun range now faces certain limitations for the time being.
A judge granted a temporary restraining order.
As the gun range works to implement better safety measures, some types of firearms and bullets cannot be used there. The types that have been banned are the ones that could potentially make it to the school.
Although some measures are already in place, they do not appear to be sufficient. Per NBC 5, the district also said, “There is a berm on the gun range intended to stop bullets, but it appears patrons can fire over the berm and strike the school.”
Which is exactly why the school is so concerned about safety. “In addition to the current property damage, NISD staff are concerned that students, parents, staff and/or visitors may be struck by stray bullets when they are on campus,” the lawsuit said,.
The gun range’s owner seemed to admit things could be improved.
In the lawsuit, the school alleged that the owner of the gun range, whose name is David, acknowledged that more safety measures could be put in place to protect students, families, and staff at the nearby school.
He reportedly agreed that “more safety features could prevent bullets from being fired over the berm.” At the same time, he noted that these safety measures have not actually been implemented yet.
Once they actually are, the gun range can continue on as normal. “The gun range can continue to operate with firearms that are incapable of reaching our school, and if it implements the appropriate safety measures, it can resume all operations,” the school’s principal said in a statement, per NBC 5.
The principal noted that “further legal action” is also possible “if the gun range does not comply with the order.”
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