On Thursday, The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), the Fresno Police Department, and the Clovis Police Department, using search warrants, discovered an underground gun range at a private home in southwest Fresno.
The backyard at the home on the 3800 block of E. Laurite near Church and Orange Avenues had been dug so that a space could be created for shooting, including the use of mattresses and blankets in front of a concrete wall to muffle the sound. Neighbors reported hearing gunfire but assumed it was from airsoft guns.
Tony Botti, the public information officer for FCSO, said , “It appears that neighbors in the past had said that they heard gunshots coming from this residence, but they thought that they were airsoft guns, they were so quiet.” Roughly 80 officers from the various agencies were serving seven search warrants to different locations at the time of the discovery, according to ABC 23. The action was supervised by MAGEC (Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium).
Botti said it appeared the range was used for test firing weapons, adding, “Ya, it’s absolutely illegal. I mean, you can’t be firing guns on your property, that’s why they make gun ranges to go and do that sort of thing.”
According to FCSO, two people were arrested, one for drug possession and being a felon in possession of a gun. Video of the bunker is here.