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Callers to Farmville Police Department (FPD) reporting the sound of shots fired on Route 600 in recent weeks have been hearing shots from a firing range on a farm in Cumberland County.

“A gentleman bought a farm down on Plank Road, just outside the town limits on Plank Road, and I guess he has opened his own personal firing range,” Farmville Police Chief Andy Ellington said Friday, May 29. “And those shots, man, the echo went across the river like you wouldn’t believe.”

He said FPD had received a call that week and another call the week prior concerning the sounds.

Cumberland County Sheriff Darrell Hodges said the farmer has a legal, safe backstop for his firing range.

“He’s shooting in safe directions,” Hodges said. “I guess the biggest problem is, because of the way the land is contoured, it echoes, and I think the sound is pushing back towards the town.”

The sheriff said he actually has not been receiving calls on the issue because the echo is traveling in one direction.

“Most of the calls are coming (to) the town because it’s echoing that way, and people think it’s in town, but it’s not,” he said.

The sheriff said most of the time, the owner of the firing range has been quite respectful about shooting only in the daylight hours.

“We do have a noise ordinance, but we haven’t found him in violation of any noise ordinance as of yet,” Hodges said.