NewsWest 9
MIDLAND/ODESSA - A new indoor gun range could be in the Basin's future but it needs your help getting here. A local researcher is trying to bring the range to town.
Tony Grijalva isn't the first and he wont be the last to wonder why Midland/Odessa doesn't have an indoor gun range but he's doing something about it.
"This business venture revolves around proof, community proof that it's something that everybody wants," Grijalva said.
Grijalva is trying make an indoor range a reality in the Basin.
He first went to one in Houston and grew to love it.
"Indoor gun ranges offered a level of comfort that I wanted and I wanted to duplicate that experience here," Grijalva said.
So he created a survey to gather information about the public's interest for a new range.
Grijalva has received over 1,200 replies so far and he's finding some interesting trends.
"For every three men who take the survey and indicate male on the survey, there is one woman who takes the survey," Grijalva said. "Based on the feedback we're getting from the surveys, there is a demand, especially in Ector County for something closer."
He's also taken out ads on Facebook and bought air time on local radio stations to spread the word and gain support.
"It's a controlled environment, a controlled and safe environment where people can practice their second amendment rights to build up their confidence and proficiency with firearms," Grijalva said.
NewsWest 9 asked our viewers what they thought about it. The majority said they're behind it.
One viewer wrote, "I'm for it!!!! As a parent and a CHL holder I would love a place to go as a family to teach my children gun safety. It's an awesome idea!"
Another said, "It gives people a safe place out of the heat to shoot. With it being indoors I think more people would be willing to practice safe gun handling as well."
But not everyone feels the same.
One viewer said, "The overconfidence of shooting in such a controlled environment will probably make the average person more dangerous in a real world situation."
Another agreed saying, "Something like that will surely have some very negative consequences if they build it, but Texans love their guns, so I'm sure it will get a lot of local support."
A possible site for the range could be around the area of FM 1788 and Hwy 191 and Grijalva wants it to be family friendly.
Once he's compiled all his data, Grijalva said he'll present it to a bank to hopefully get funded.
