Golden Gate Estates parents worry for children’s safety amid gunfire

Reporter: Emma Heaton Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:

Parents in Golden Gate Estates are worried for their kids’ safety as bullets fly through their neighborhood.

A recent Facebook post shows a bullet tore through the tire of a family’s truck while it parked in their driveway on 47th Avenue Northeast. The parents say they have 1-year-old twins who run and play outside. Gunfire went off in broad daylight.

“All the time, every day, every weekend, mostly on the weekends. It’s all the time, anytime of the day night. It doesn’t matter. It’s all the time,” said Lady Mazzarollo.

Erik Patterson loves his daughter. Like any good father, he’d do just about anything to protect her. But he’s stuck with a concern no parent should have: Random bullets flying through his community.

“Please shoot responsibly, take precautions,” Patterson’s neighbor wrote in a Facebook post. “I’m sure you don’t want to end up in jail for killing someone.”

“They need to make sure that they are doing the right thing. Not just, ‘Oh, well. It’s legal. They can do whatever they want.’ But just that’s anarchy,” said Mazzarollo.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says it isn’t illegal to fire a gun on your property isn’t illegal, but it is to do so negligently or recklessly.

Patterson thinks the rules should be far more strict.

“Maybe they shut it down as far as shooting weapons out here,” Patterson said.

The mere discharge of a firearm on personal property isn’t considered negligent; otherwise, it would be illegal. Patterson says he has tried to call CCSO about shots fired toward his property where he has young kids, but he says nothing was done about it.

CCSO declined an interview with WINK about the matter.

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