Inver Grove Heights has temporarily closed its city-run Heritage Village dog park after reports that a visitor heard a gunshot and then saw a bullet casing fly by in late October, according to city officials.

The city closed the dog park on Oct. 31 and city officials, including police officers and parks and recreation staff, were at the park investigating on Tuesday, Mayor Brenda Dietrich said.

The off-leash dog park, located at 4321 65th St., near the Mississippi River and the Rock Island Swing Bridge, covers 11 acres. Next door is the South St. Paul Rod and Gun Club.

Because it's deer-hunting season, Dietrich said, officials don't want to jump to the conclusion that the bullet was from the gun club.

"In an abundance of caution, the dog park is still closed," she said. "We're trying to be good neighbors and do a thorough search."

Dietrich posted on social media that the nearby Mississippi River Greenway trail remains open since Dakota County has found no evidence of bullets exiting the club.

The South St. Paul Rod and Gun Club said in a statement that bullets don't leave the facility's range.

"Projectile containment, capture, and overall range safety oversight as implemented is in place, preventing projectiles from leaving our facility and entering the surrounding areas such as trails, parks, and developments," the statement said.

Safety is a priority, the statement said, and is emphasized through routine maintenance, continually reviewing policies and procedures. The club is designed to be safe and people using the facility are also held accountable, it said.

Resident Brian King, who usually brings his Weimaraner, Ruby, to the dog park twice a day, said the park closed two weekends ago after the city told him multiple reports were made to police of either hearing bullets whizzing by or finding bullet fragments on the ground.

The Inver Grove Heights police department did not respond to requests related to the number of incidents at the dog park.

King said he thinks it's unlikely the bullets are coming from the gun range because it's set up for guns to fire away from the park.

"It seems pretty far-fetched," that bullets would be coming from there, he said.

The area is wooded and near the river, he said, so it's possible they're coming from elsewhere.

The dog park is "pretty busy," especially between 4 and 6 p.m. Since it's been closed, he's been running Ruby around the dog park's perimeter instead, he said.