ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — A man captured on video firing a rifle while swinging on a zip line as a teen is trying to open a controversial shooting range south of Taylorsville in Alexander County.
Residents in the area are already concerned about safety regarding the range.
A public hearing set for Thursday night was postponed because so many people showed up. It was rescheduled until next week and moved to the high school auditorium.
Landon Ferguson posted the video on his Instagram account. The 21-year-old wants to open the shooting range on Teague Town Road.
Kay Crawford and her husband, who live next to the property, are concerned about their safety and others' after watching the video.
“It upset me,” Crawford said. “It scared me and to think all kinds of people would be coming right here on our property.”
[PAST COVERAGE: Proposed shooting range has some Alexander County neighbors on edge]
Ferguson said Friday that the shooting range will have protective berms to prevent anyone from being injured and will not have activities like what was seen on his Instagram post.
He said he regrets posting the video, which was taken when he was a teenager.
“I regret it, and I regret having it up there,” Ferguson said. “Of course, I don’t want people to get the wrong ideas about me. I’m big on gun safety.”
Ferguson said he also plans on installing metal plates, which will deflect the bullets at the range down toward the ground, where there will be pools of water to collect the lead.
Brenda and Charles Hallman, who live nearby, said they moved to the country to get away from the noise.
“We found a quiet place, and I don’t want to be a prisoner in my own home,” Brenda Hallman said.
County leaders said if the project passes the zoning board next week, it will be up to county commissioners to decide on whether to allow the shooting range.
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