On the morning of Sunday, August 17th, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were checking the area of Golden Eagle Park, and the BLM land south of the park for illegal target shooters. Deputies contacted over 20 people in several different groups, illegally target shooting in a restricted area. Deputies issued a total of 12 citations for unlawful discharge of a firearm, a violation of Washoe County Code 50.092, a misdemeanor.
While the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office supports recreating outdoors to include legal target shooting, discharging firearms too close to houses, and more importantly a regional park where kids are playing, is reckless and dangerous. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone of the rules associated with target shooting in Washoe County:
- Discharging a firearm in a congested area is not permitted, no matter the distance from any homes.
- Discharging a handgun or rifle in a restricted area is only permitted if over 5,000 feet from the nearest residence.
- Discharging a shotgun in a restricted area is only permitted if over 1,000 feet from the nearest residence.
Download the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office mobile APP to find the safe shooting map. Be sure to follow the legend on the map to determine if you are in a congested area or a restricted area. If you are in a restricted area, all laws following distances above must be followed.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public, that not only is there a high threat of wildfires from target shooting, it’s also far too dangerous to be shooting near homes and city parks. Several indoor and outdoor public shooting ranges are in the Reno area, and the public is urged to utilize these local areas and businesses to prevent crime and more importantly injury and wildfires.
