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Gun Control? City Experiencing Dangerous Number Of Gun Store Burglaries (Picture)
Indianapolis is experiencing a rash of gun store breakins. Some thieves are using cars to ram store doors and make of with thousands of dollars worth of weapons. What good are gun control laws in cases like this? Editor
For the second time in as many weeks, dozens of powerful weapons were brazenly snatched from an Indianapolis gun shop.
And just like the earlier incident, the missing firearms are a concern for investigators working to track down the potentially dangerous thieves.
“Gun thefts are always a concern for us because of where those guns may end up,” said Lt. Christopher Bailey of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. “They may end up being sold on the street to felons and people who can’t buy them legally. They may end up being traded for drugs. They may be used in a violent crime against an innocent member of the community or a member of the Police Department.
“Our No. 1 priority is the impact these thefts have on the community. That’s why we need people to be vigilant and contact us whenever they see something.”
Around 3 a.m. Sunday, an alarm called IMPD officers to Wide Open Arms at 3722 E. Raymond St. A vehicle had rammed the door of the business, allowing the thieves to enter the store and steal more than 30 guns, police said.
Officials said the vehicle left behind some evidence, and Wide Open Arms employees are aiding in the investigation. Calls placed to the Southeastside gun shop Tuesday for comment were not returned.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the weapons thefts.
The complete list of stolen weapons was not available Tuesday, but ATF spokeswoman Suzanne Dabkowski confirmed that numerous handguns were reported stolen. The Indiana State Police is also assisting in the investigation.
The burglary at Wide Open Arms comes at the end of a two-week stretch marred by a high-profile gun theft involving Indianapolis residents. Last weekend, a box trailer containing 29 weapons and 20,000 rounds of ammunition was stolen from Profire Arms and Supply on the Far Westside.
Clifford Helm, 42, Indianapolis, and Linda Panken, 54, Lafayette were arrested in connection with the weapons theft. Bailey said Tuesday that the majority of those weapons have been recovered.
In another recent incident, three Indianapolis men accused of fatally shooting a Jennings County gun shop owner and stealing dozens of weapons from his store were arrested.
Dejaun Worthen, 23; Darion Harris, 20; and Darryl Worthen, 24, were taken into custody Sept. 22 at an Indianapolis home. Maj. Jerry Shepherd of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office said all three men were being held without bond in the Jennings County Jail on charges of murder and robbery.
Police said the Jennings County shooting took place Sept. 21. Only four of the 47 weapons the three are accused of stealing have been found. MOREHERE
