CBS4 Exclusive: Man Claims He Was Grazed By Stray Bullet From Gun Range
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Working the fields of far Southwest Miami-Dade, Juan Antonio Menjivar says he's used to hearing gunshots.
He rides his tractor just outside the confines of Long Shot Range.
Around lunchtime on June 19th, as he drove his tractor eastbound on Southwest 312th Street and 117th Avenue in Homestead, he heard a different sound.
"Like a whistle," he explained. "But 'voof'. Kinda hard sound."
Menjivar said the noise came from a bullet grazing his body, and he had the wounds to prove it.
He showed CBS4 the scar along with photos of his injuries.
"When I raised the shirt I saw the burn then start bleeding," he said.
When paramedics and Miami-Dade police responded, Menjivar told them he thought the bullet came from the Long Shot Range.
The report said a manager at the range "advised that a Special Forces Navy Seals team had been training on his range and that a round possibly went over a berm and accidentally struck Mr. Antonio."
Juan Antonio Menjivar hired an attorney who's considering whether a lawsuit should be filed.
"I want them to change the way that they operate their business. I want them to operate their business in a safe and reasonable fashion to protect individuals and that people aren't injured like my client," attorney David Farber said.
The owner of Long Shot Range, Steven Hurst, said they follow all safety guidelines to the letter.
The impact mounds measure 20 feet tall and the berms surrounding the area are 7 to 10 feet tall, according to Hurst.
The police report said the detectives asked for the permits and inspection records and "all appeared valid."
"Unfortunately we're a range, naturally if anything happens like this they will immediately come for us. They can allege that the bullet came from us. That's their right," Hurst said.
Hurst said people often shoot in the agricultural areas surrounding the range.
"Particularly down the canal banks," he said. "We have round coming in from the outside all the time."
When CBS4 was in the area, we noticed several street signs dotted with bullet holes.
It's possible the bullet that grazed Menjivar didn't come from the range, but there's no way to know for sure.
"I know that the people shooting offsite do not have any safety procedures and I know that we do and our whole emphasis is on trying to make sure we shoot safely and that our rounds stay on site," Hurst added.
The police report states the legal bureau deemed the "incident did not require any legal or police action and could continue to operate without further incident."
The case is now closed, but Menjivar hopes his ordeal serves as a lesson to all who fire weapons in the area.
"They have to make sure the place is running like 100% safety. That's all I can tell you," he said. "There's a lot of people working there. That time it was me. Could be someone else."
