Makeshift gun range, dumping ground takes over WA wilderness - MASHAHER

GRANITE FALLS, Wash. – A stretch of Snohomish County wilderness just off the Mountain Loop Highway outside Granite Falls has become a makeshift shooting range and dumping ground, overrun by trigger-happy amateurs armed with military-grade weapons.

Granite Falls Police Chief Tom Dalton took FOX 13 News up the forest service road to Green Mountain to show just how out of hand things have gotten.

“You don’t want to anger these people, because you don’t know what they’re capable of doing,” said Dalton.

Dalton admitted to feeling personally intimidated by the heavily armed individuals he encounters. “It’s one of those where the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you’re like, yeah, I better not push this one too far.”

Right now, the department is short-staffed and lacks the resources to send two deputies up there at a time to hold perpetrators accountable.

“You’ve got to remember, we’re one person contacting anywhere from nine people with 20–30 firearms,” he explained.

A makeshift shooting range

The meadows of Green Mountain, approximately two and a half miles up an old forest service road, have been transformed into an impromptu shooting range. The area is littered with shell casings, rusted targets, and garbage.

One man named Robert travels by four-wheeler to collect all the trash left behind. He turns in brass shell casings and cans for profit.

He claims last year he picked up over a thousand pounds of aluminum cans in the area. He estimates that is enough to fill an entire semi-truck.

“About a month ago I found a gun up here,” said Robert. “Ammo, backpacks, range finders. You name it with a gun, and I’ve found it.”

Armed to the teeth

Dalton expressed concerns over the heavy-duty gear and ammunition used by these recreational shooters.

“They outgun me every day of the week,” said Dalton.

Photos he collected from a span of hours on a single Saturday show 50-caliber rifles, bear guns, magazines. Deadly weapons carelessly scattered across camp tables. Dalton says some of these items are sniper-material.

“They actually have plates like we would use in an active shooter situation,” said Dalton. “That tells me that they’re up there practicing for some ungodly reason.”

Dangerous and disorderly behavior

The activities in the area are not limited to target practice. Reports of domestic violence, running gun battles, and accidental fires have become common. Dalton says authorities have recovered stolen guns and cars from these sites.

Robert said he, too, has witnessed some sketchy behavior.

“I’ve seen people literally shoot themselves up there trying to unjam their guns,” said Robert. “My biggest concern is a ricochet is going to come up, it’s going to hit somebody or hit their car.”

Upcoming crackdown

In response, law enforcement is preparing for a crackdown. Private landowners have authorized the police to take action. Initially, there will be warnings, but soon, anyone caught firing off weapons will be trespassing.

“We’re going to run people’s names to see if they’ve got warrants, and we’re going to check all the serial numbers on their guns,” Dalton said. He also mentioned the possibility of closing the road entirely to prevent further incidents.