INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Heritage Village Dog Park in Inver Grove Heights has been closed since Oct. 31, after the city received reports of gunshots coming into the park.
Friday, the parking lot leading to the park was barricaded. The park's fence bore a bright orange 'Dog Park Closed' sign.
A more detailed sign said the gunshots possibly came from the South St. Paul gun range, which sits a little over a mile North of the dog park.
In a statement, the manager of the South St. Paul Rod & Gun Club said the club abides by DNR's best practices for firearm safety and that bullets do not leave the range.
The full statement reads:
"South Saint Paul Rod and Gun Club abides by the best practices from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for firearm range safety.
Bullets do not leave our Range. Projectile containment, capture, and overall range safety oversight as implemented is in place preventing projectiles from leaving our facility and entering the surrounding areas such as trails, parks, and developments.
Our establishment continues to drive safety as a priority through routine maintenance and continuous review to policies and procedures.
Safety is paramount in the design of the infrastructure in place as well as accountability of those using the facility.
In addition to best practice, we incorporate law enforcement training at our facility engaging recommendations and improvements beyond standard industry practices.
We enjoy being a part of the community and a place for safe and responsible shooting sports."
Since the closure notice posted on Halloween, Inver Grove Heights Mayor Brenda Dietrich said on Facebook that "an on-site assessment of the Mississippi Greenway near the South St Paul Gun Club found no evidence of bullets escaping the gun club property. The County has verified with South St Paul that the South St Paul Gun Club meets the zoning requirements and safeguards. As a result the Mississippi River Greenway remains open."
The Greenway runs parallel to the dog park.
On Friday, city officials said there were no new details available, and that any new updates regarding the dog park would be found on the city's website.
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