An Oak Ridge man is now in custody after allegedly firing off a gun all day long and early into the evening on Monday.
On Thursday, Aug. 4, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department reported that, on Monday, August 2 at about 8:20 p.m., department deputies responded to a report of “multiple rounds” discharged from a firearm.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived in the residential neighborhood – with homes close together – in Oak Ridge, they learned that the shots were being fired from the home at 4913 A Golden Oaks Dr. They also learned that those shots had been heard periodically all day long as well as into that evening until the officers arrived. Based on the sound of it, some shots hit trees.
During the investigation, the deputies tried repeatedly to make contact with the resident of that address – who’s said to be a 66-year-old white male named Alan Stuart Safrit.
The August 4 report states, “Safrit was reportedly the person responsible for the multiple rounds fired from a firearm and additionally he had also communicated a threat to a neighbor, for which there was an outstanding warrant.”
It adds, “Deputies believed the actions of Mr. Safrit were putting neighbors in danger and they (deputies) reported hearing multiple rounds strike nearby trees. Although further investigation is required, it does not appear, from the information presently available, that the gunshots were directed or aimed at other persons or property.”
At about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 3, Safrit was at his residence and was taken into custody.
The timing of the incident is interesting. It came just days before the Guilford County Board of Commissioners began to address the issue of people firing guns in unsafe ways in the county. At the board’s Thursday, Aug. 5 meeting, the commissioners considered new regulations meant to prevent accidental shootings by people shooting targets or shooting into the air.
Earlier this year, a diner was accidentally hit by a stray bullet on the patio at Sedgefield Country Club. That was one incident that led to the current discussion on gun use and a potential change to county gun ordinances.
Did our wonderful liberal magistrates give this man a bond? They let real criminals roam the streets freely and terrorize the citizens. All this old man did was say something that offended one of his pansy @$$ neighbors and shoot at a few trees & now his name is front page news.
Wait – I thought it was everyone’s responsibility to treat their neighbors respectfully and to follow appropriate safety while using a firearm. Poppin’ off rounds at trees (assuming he has good aim) all day isn’t responsible use of a firearm.
Is tree season in? Wonder who put Safrit up to this? At least the trees were is backdrop and he apparently discharging his firearm in the direction of any residences or buildings. Maybe he was cited for the violation of the county noise ordinance …who knows.
This event shows exactly why no “new regulations” are needed. Complaints were made by neighbors (had been made before), deputies went to the location, he was “taken into custody”. Now the situation is the responsibility of the legal system. Having more regulations does not fix the legal system that apparently hasn’t yet dealt with this man’s prior issue concerning communicating threats resulting in an outstanding warrant. There lies the biggest problem, the justice system doesn’t seem to actually mete punishment out to offenders in order to help them understand they are going to suffer if they violate the rules of community integrity. Until that is solved thousands of regulations will only limit the people who are already courteous and be a joke to those who aren’t.