The Copeland home is seen beyond the Caba Farms sign, which is situated to the right of the firing range.

A lawsuit has been filed by Henry residents Fred and Annette Copeland against Caba Farms' Lance and Hollye Rider, owners of a trap shooting range located in Henry County some 700 yards from the Copeland home, according to Rider. The case gained nationwide attention recently after being publicized in the April 2005 issue of "America's First Freedom", a publication of the National Rifle Association.

The suit filed in September last year in the Chancery Court of Henry County at Paris alleges the Copelands purchased their Palestine Road property in June 1990 and in early 2004 began construction of their home at a cost of $175,000. They previously lived next door to their new home for approximately 22 years.

The suit says the Riders bought their land in November 2002 and in informal visits never mentioned the possible use of the property.

"On July 5, 2004, the plaintiffs were suddenly shocked by an onslaught of gunfire coming from the direction of the defendant's property," it reads. Upon investigation, it continues, it was discovered the Riders had opened a shooting range with the direction of fire being toward the Copeland's property.

The suit further alleges the shooting range disturbs the free use of the Copeland property and "endangers their life or health, gives offense to the senses, violates the laws of decency, and obstructs the reasonable or comfortable use of their property."

It further states, "The defendants had a duty of care owed to the plaintiffs as it relates to their use and enjoyment of their property."

Rider said the Copelands initially asked him to turn the range around to face in the opposite direction from their home, however, he noted it was impossible to move the concrete walkways that comprise the range. Behind the walkways is a covered pavilion from which bystanders may observe. Rider said it is necessary for the range to face northeast in order that practice may take place yearlong without the direction of the sun being a hindrance.

He hopes a new law passed last year will benefit his defense as he asserts the range was in operation the third week of June last year. The new law, while more stringent than the one it replaced, nevertheless took effect on July 1, 2004, with the result that, should a court of law find the Caba Farms range was operational before July 1, the old law would prevail. The old law and revisions may be viewed at www.state.tn.us/sos/acts/103/pub/pc0694.pdf.

The Copelands, through Mrs. Copeland's brother, Georgia attorney William Vincent, who stated he was co-counsel in the case to Dresden attorney Jim Bradberry, said they were forced to file the suit when a compromise could not be reached, owing to a legal requirement barring complaint if none is filed within 12 months of the range's opening date.

The range is used by middle school and high school trapshooting teams that, in their second year in McKenzie, were recently successful in a bid to attain a more official status at the schools due to their affiliation with the Tennessee 4-H Club.

During the teams' first year, the girls' team garnered the most attention as the only all-girl team in the nation while all teams scored well, winning honors in the national championships last year. The McKenzie trapshooters have been featured in a multitude of publications as well as TV sporting shows and have recently been approached by the ESPN television network and Field and Stream magazine, according to Rider, educational coordinator for the West Tennessee TWRA and local and state program director for the Scholastic Clay Target Program and a coach at the high school level.

Prior to the construction of the Caba Farms shooting range, according to Rider, students had to travel 45 minutes to and from practice sessions while the new range is a ten minute drive from McKenzie.

Local interest in the teams and their sport resulted in a huge following of parents and other members of the community who see the sport as "good, clean fun." Practices and other events at Caba Farms, where Rider says he spent $18,000 of his own money in materials to construct the firing range built by the volunteer labor of parents and other enthusiasts, have been a boon for families touting how the sport has bridged generations to bring old and young together.

Asked why he would expend that amount of money for the range, he explained, "Well, you see, I have four boys, and the youngest one is five so we'll hopefully be doing this for a long time."

The Copelands are less enthused.

"It's always been so nice and peaceful out here," says Mrs. Copeland. "I like to sit outside and read and I like to work outside."

The Copelands assert they have nothing against guns. "We're for everybody's rights," she said, "but we have rights, too."