SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Sheila and Tony Anderson have lived in the Rolling Brook subdivision of Northfield Center Township since 2003. They love their home, especially the backyard and deck.
“This is like our little sanctuary where we come to relax,” said Sheila Anderson.
But there’s a caveat to their relaxation: the sound of gunshots.
“The gunshots started happening around 8 or 9 years ago,” she said. “They’re rapid, they’re fast. You can feel the vibration. Within the last couple of years it has gotten pretty... I would say vicious.”
Anderson said the gunshots are not constant but they’re consistent, and for years the couple has just tolerated the noise.
“We never in a million years thought that one would come through our window,” she said. “Things need to change and they need to change today.”
Sheila was out running errands on Saturday and was on the phone with her husband, who was upstairs when he heard a loud boom. When Sheila got home she said there was glass all over her living room, then she realized her back window had a bullet hole through it.
“We noticed on that lawn chair that’s leaned against the back window that there was a hole so I’m like, ‘wow could it be possible it was a bullet hole?’ The sheriff’s department came out and they did their investigation and, sure enough, the bullet had made it from the right side of the room all the way to the left side of the room where my couch sits,” she said.
She said she broke down when she found the bullet.
“You’re thinking of your family, you’re thinking of your safety. You think you should be safe in your own home but are you really safe?” She asked. “My grandbaby always goes in the living room and hides his toys.”
She posted the incident on the neighborhood’s Facebook page and many were outraged. The neighbors told her they believe the gunshots are coming from the direction of a property owned by a business that backs up to the development.
When News 5 reached out to the company Jackson Comfort and a spokesperson sent this statement in an e-mail.
Jackson Comfort and the property owners do not condone any unsafe shooting practices on private property. Any shooting that does take place is with permission from the property owners and the Summit County Sherriff Department. The property is posted with NO TRESPASSING signs but there have been multiple incidents of unsolicited trespassing where illegal hunting, shooting, tree cutting, bike riding, hiking, and camping have taken place. Jackson Comfort and the property owners do not condone any of this illegal activity.
Jackson Comfort and the property owners are complying with all local law enforcement on this current issue.
The Andersons and their neighbors took their concerns to Monday’s township trustee meeting, with one of their neighbors telling township officials it is time for new rules and regulations regarding gun ranges.
“What would they be allowed to do safely in the township to stop this? I don’t want Rolling Brook to be used as a backstop for bullets,” he said.
A Summit County Sheriff’s deputy said she was not aware of any type of agreement with the company and the sheriff’s department and that detectives have been assigned to the case.
“Anybody that is shooting, there are requirements as far as distance from residents and schools and they also have to have some back stop,” she told neighbors. “This is not something that we want here.”
