There is some level of concern over what appears to be a Snapchat video posted on Reddit of two men opening fire "at-will" along a trail in Pierce County.
The video appears to show the shooting that happened on the Carbon River Rainforest Trail -- near Mount Rainier National Park. Authorities in that area say they are aware of the video. KIRO 7’s crews were able to find the areas that were caught by the Snapchat sequence, and when they arrived there were shotgun shells and bullet casings all over the ground.
Several people say shooting in that area is common – and often it is not a crime. But Authorities and the people KIRO 7 met in the area along the trail say it was how the men were shooting that is a problem.
The Snapchat/Reddit video shows the men shooting randomly at rocks with a handgun, firing at signs that say 'No Shooting' – even spraying a stream of bullets into a streambed. The men were waving their guns and popping off shots and decided to share it, but the video ended up on Reddit.
One group that came to the area and watched the video said it’s a black eye on anyone who wants to shoot responsibly. Aubrey Hays of Kent was on the trail with his children, and several others – he admitted shooting on the trail is popular – but was disappointed by the video.
“It's stupidity I mean they're just ruining it for all of us who do our thing by the book, they're just out here running amok.” He was joined along the trail by Tony Jeffries who was less kind in assessing the behavior in the video calling it reckless, “That's so ridiculous, you have to be careful with Social media…especially if you're being stupid.”
Hays says he shoots with his own children and often visits the trail with them, so unsafe shooting is a concern, “very dangerous, I have my kids here and they know better than that.”
The ground in the area where one piece of the video was filmed is littered with a rainbow of shotgun shells and bullet casings. There are at least two burnt out carcasses of automobiles that are sitting along the trail for target practice.
On Wednesday evening you could hear the shots. KIRO 7’s crews showed some campers the video of how the men were shooting, their campsite was a short distance from where the video was taken, But when we showed some campers how these men were shooting they admitted that they were worried about caught in the crossfire especially with the video depicting random shooting into the woods, and against hard surfaces where bullets could ricochet.
Hays says the video shows what not to do when firing in the woods, and frankly puts others at risk, “You just never know who's around that next corner.”
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — KIRO 7's crews also spoke to Buckley Police Chief Jim Arsanto. He recognized the area where the men were shooting and helped guide us there. He says the area is very popular with hikers and shooters, but he says the behavior in the video was reckless.
Cox Media Group
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