PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Many people living in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood and surrounding areas have been hoping for years that something would be done about the noise coming from a police shooting range.

But they have had enough and want to silence the issue once and for all.

“It’s very jarring. When you’re just enjoying the trees or the breeze or just watching kids playing in the park, these are very normal sounds, and suddenly you hear gunshots that come out of nowhere and can be very loud. And some of it almost sounds like bombings,” said Kate Black, a 20-year resident of Highland Park.

These disturbing noises are coming from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s open-air shooting range on Washington Boulevard in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar.

Black said she and her neighbors hear the gunshots at any time of day. Black said it could be as early as 8 a.m. or as late as 9 p.m.

“It’s almost gotten worse. I think it’s gotten louder. It’s often over 65 decibels. Every day that decibel limit is exceeded several times,” she said.

She shared several videos taken this week from her porch and front yard, where on one of the days loud gunshots could still be heard at 7:22 p.m.

“It’s inside, it’s not just outside. It’s in my house where the windows are closed. Sometimes I wake up to it. It’s just gotten to the point where it’s really affecting our lives here,” Black said.

Plus, it continues to upset people who enjoy Highland Park Pool and Carnegie Lake.

This has been a hotly debated issue for over 40 years, and the Highland Park City Council has been fighting against it for many years.

Mayor Ed Gainey’s office told KDKA-TV: “The situation surrounding the shooting range has existed for more than 40 years and has no easy or immediate solution. Mayor Ed Gainey proposed funding for planning a new facility in the 2024 budget, but it was removed by a City Council amendment before final adoption. We remain committed to addressing the issue and plan to propose funding for planning again in the 2025 budget.”

Black said she understands police officers need to be trained, but it’s unfair that nothing has changed after all these years. She also said there has been no communication or follow-up with elected officials, even after calling 311.

“I hope that at some point they can move it to another location that is not in the city or near such a densely populated area. But in the meantime, more restrictions will be put in place, like once a week or even twice a week, something like that,” she said.

She’s making noise in the hopes that someone will listen. She has plans for a peaceful protest in the near future and is hanging signs for a petition that has already been signed by more than 1,400 people.

“I hope more people sign and that someone in the city makes the change and just stops it,” Black said.

On Friday evening, KDKA-TV reached out to Highland Park City Councilwoman Deb Gross for comment or updates on possible efforts to assist affected community members, but did not receive a response.