ALERT: "Shots Fired" May Be Illegal Hunting

We have had increasingly frequent reports of hearing shots fired in the evenings and nights around our neighborhood, generally in the vicinity of the old Tennis Club off of John T. White.

The following is a report from our Code Enforcement officer:

(Regarding the Tennis Club deserted building)

Code has secured the structure several times. The last time we used a stronger method.

Last week, we found that someone had broken out the skirting and then burrowed underneath and up through the floor. We will fix this…and sometimes they then use a sledge hammer/similar device to simply break through the exterior wall. This is not unique to this situation.

While we are not ruling out the homeless, what we are seeing suggests kids or suspects looking for copper (they have already removed the copper from the exterior fixtures).

The property has been in bankruptcy. We are asking the law department to check with the Court on the status and if we can get any relief on the nuisances.

I personally inspected the entire property today. There is no evidence of target practice/similar activities.

My Wildlife Team has been working with the Game Warden along the bottom/wetland that runs from the City’s water treatment facility to the Trinity. South of Racket Club we found a large hog pen and evidence of poaching. Some of the gunfire (at night) is probably illegal hunting.

The following map shows the large area in which illegal hunting may be occurring.