Punta Gorda neighbors say sheriff’s office gun range is ruining peace and property values

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. —

In the gated community of Waterford Estates in Punta Gorda, some residents say their biggest concern isn’t hurricanes or rising HOA fees... It’s gunfire.

“We woke up the next morning after buying the house to a war zone,” Connie Went said. “Literally. Rifles going off, constant fire for hours at a time.”

Went says she and her husband moved to the neighborhood in 2023, drawn to what seemed like a peaceful, private area. But just beyond the tree line in their backyard, sits the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office firing range.

“It wasn’t disclosed to us. Nothing,” she said.

Went is part of a growing group of neighbors raising concerns about the noise coming from the range. They say it’s not occasional, but routine. Multiple times a day. Often on holidays and weekends. And loud enough to hear inside their homes with the doors and windows shut.

Some say the constant gunfire is causing anxiety, disturbing children, triggering PTSD, and in some cases, lowering property values.

“We can’t even sell our house,” Went said. “There was a woman three houses down who took hers off the market because buyers wouldn’t bite. Who wants to live next to this?”

Another neighbor, CC Bjork, says she’s lived in the community for six years. “We’ve signed petitions. But nothing’s really changed,” she said. “I just don’t understand why they can’t move the range somewhere else.”

Not everyone in Waterford Estates feels the same. Some homeowners told us the noise doesn’t bother them or that they understand the need for deputies to train. But there's also a safety concern.

“We have children that run around back here in the woods, and there's no solid barrier between them and us. There's a chain link fence. So if somebody would misfire..." said Went.

At Wednesday’s Charlotte County Commission meeting, officials acknowledged the complaints. They confirmed that noise tests show the firing range is within legal safety limits. But commissioners also admitted that doesn’t mean it’s livable.

Now, they’re asking the Sheriff’s Office to explore possible solutions—like building a sound wall, enclosing the range, or moving long-gun training to a different facility.

For now, the county is moving forward with a feasibility study to see if enclosing the range is even possible. It’s a start...but neighbors like Went are still waiting for real change.

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