“Top Gun installed a state of the art ‘bullet trap’ at its range in 2009, after a fire the range led to upgrades of the facility. This bullet trap was installed as part of overall range construction. The new range was designed by ‘Action Target,’ a company that does business from its home office in Provo, Utah,” according to the complaint.
Since installing the rubber bullet trap, Top Gun says, Houston police have inspected its range every year and approved its application for a “Special Shooting Gallery Permit.”
“As is its custom, Top Gun, on October 31, 2013, once again submitted its application for approval of its Special Shooting Gallery Permit with the Houston Police Department,” the complaint states.
Top Gun claims that two weeks later the city’s human resources department said the application had been routed to it by mistake, and it would send it to the police department.
Officer Jeff Roeder inspected Top Gun’s range on Dec. 26, then followed up with an email on New Year’s Eve, stating he would not issue Top Gun a permit because the range was out of compliance with city law, Top Gun says in the complaint.
That the city government is anti-gun and has zero respect for the 2nd Amendment should be news to no one. It is, after all, awash in liberal Democrats who have never met an anti-gun policy or law they didn’t like. It seems that fact now means a family owned business is fighting for its life. Top Gun is a range familiar to almost anyone who has spent much time looking for an indoor range in Houston. Back in the 1990s when Top Gun first opened, its original owner applied for and was granted a variance from the city’s “shooting gallery” ordinance because even then, the ordinance requirements were out of date and anything but safe. Unfortunately, neither the city, nor city council has ever had any interest in updating the ordinance because, at the end of the day, they don’t want gun ranges in the city.
In spite of all this, Top Gun ownership changed hands between 2005 and 2006 to its current ownership. Owner Maro Johnson was realizing a life-long dream of owning a gun shop and range. Top Gun’s management has dutifully applied for their “shooting gallery permit” each year without incident. But I guess now, with the mayor in her final term, her administration feels they can enact any policy they please because there’s no political penalty to be paid. Those policies range from ignoring state law to grant benefits to same-sex couples to shutting down a business involved in otherwise lawful activities that they don’t like.
This has far reaching implications as there is another range in the works not far from Top Gun. It could be that the other range’s application for a permit lead to Top Gun’s application being denied. I’d be curious to know if that other range’s permit was denied or not. If it was approved and the range is designed in accordance to city demands, it will be in direct violation of OSHA and EPA regulations. This could get interesting folks!
-GM
