STRATFORD, CT — The first Black-owned shooting range in Connecticut recently celebrated its grand opening in Stratford.

Mayor Laura Hoydick joined owner Lorenzo Whilby and his family and staff for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Stratford Guns and Ammo, LLC at 760 Honeyspot Rd.

Stratford Guns and Ammo is a combination gun store and state-of-the-art shooting range, according to Hoydick.

“The indoor range is outfitted with an electronic retrieval system, 8 HEPA filters, a rubber backstop, all within a temperature-controlled facility,” according to a news release. “This ‘green’ shooting range minimizes lead. The patented STAPP bullet catching system is designed to collect pollution from lead-based bullets, eliminating the risk of lead fragments leaching into ground water – thereby preventing environmental damage and expensive remediation.

“They are the first Black-owned shooting range in Connecticut, and only the eighth in the entire nation.”

For more information, visit Stratford Guns and Ammo’s website here.