In late August, a sign with the words Shoot Point Blank was placed at the intersection of Louis Henna Boulevard and Warner Ranch Drive in Round Rock. Those three words have caused a stir among area residents.

Carrie Thomerson, a 5-year resident of Somerville at Warner Ranch, said the sign was the first information she received about the indoor shooting range and gun store under construction at the entrance to her neighborhood.

“I have no issue with guns,” Thomerson said. “I have no issue with shooting ranges. But right in the entrance to a neighborhood? It’s just a bad place to put it.”

The 15,019-square-foot indoor shooting range is being built on a nearly 2.5-acre property at 1775 Warner Ranch Drive, Round Rock, according to development plans dated Feb. 22, 2018. The business will also sell firearms and ammunition, per the company's website.

Yash Motipara and his wife Jigna Patel said they have lived in Somerville at Warner Ranch since March 2018. They attended a Sept. 18 neighborhood meeting, alongside dozens of other residents, to express concerns about Shoot Point Blank.

“It will change the whole perception of the neighborhood,” Motipara said of the shooting range.

Standing under a pavilion at the neighborhood park, Motipara pointed to the construction site across the street. He indicated a school bus stop on Warner Ranch Drive, approximately 100 yards from the entrance to the shooting range, a basketball court, community swimming pool and park near the establishment.

“All of us are significantly worried about our well-being and our families’ well-being,” he said.

Doug Misenheimer, a Somerville at Warner Ranch resident of about four-and-a-half years, echoed Motipara’s concerns.

“We’re a community of families with young kids,” Misenheimer said. “With all the violence in the world today, having that [gun range] right here can be intimidating to a youngster.”

Thomerson, Motipara and Misenheimer stated concerns with traffic as well. Shoot Point Blank will have one entrance and exit, according to site plans submitted to the city. That point of access is on Warner Ranch Drive, not Louis Henna Boulevard.

“They’ll have to drive into our neighborhood and then turn into the parking lot,” Thomerson said. “Especially during rush hour, we already have a lot people who use our neighborhood as a cut through.”

Shoot Point Blank is located within a planned utility district, or PUD, which allows for a variety of establishments, including a shooting or archery range. The PUD was approved by the city in 1999.

“A lot has changed in 20 years,” Thomerson said. “The world is a different place than it was back then. Perhaps it’s time to revisit outdated laws.”

Shoot Point Blank is a chain business with locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Texas, according to its website. The business did not respond to multiple interview requests.

“What concerns me most is the safety of the community with gun violence lingering in all of our minds,” Thomerson said.