ROCKY POINT, N.C. -- The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Pender County hosted a ribbon cutting Friday for the new Holly Shelter Gameland Shooting Range.
The range opens over a year after officials had to stop excessive target practice from happening in a wooded area of the county.
Residents were promised a state-of-the-art shooting range to guarantee safety.
"This gets them into a safe environment," said David Piepmeyer, county commissioner of Pender County. "A controlled environment that is structured to allow this to be done in a safe manner and keeps people from being hurt or injured in any way when they shoot their weapons."
The $1.5 million project was funded by the Pittman Robertson Fund and the NRA.
It officially opens to the public on Saturday.