CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — According to a safety expert, a Cape Elizabeth gun range is not safe and it’s going to take a lot of improvements to make it safe.
Safety expert Rick LaRosa was hired by Cape Elizabeth to investigate the Spurwink Rod and Gun Club.
LaRosa defended his report at a town council meeting Monday night. He said the lack of structures to prevent stray bullets from leaving the property is the biggest problem. LaRosa also said there is nothing to keep outsiders from accidentally wandering in.
Club leaders said the safety standards were unreasonable and pointed out that the club has never had an issue in 61 years. But LaRosa said it’s not that simple.
“In the best of all worlds there is a target down there at the end and you aim at it and the bullet goes right there. But that doesn’t always happen so we design to contain accidents,” LaRosa said.
The club recently got a $10,000 grant from the NRA to make safety improvements. The president of the club is sure they can make the needed improvements to be open again in six months.