MD: 5 Rifles Taken From Silver Spring Gun Store

[Harry Tuttle]

this is the third gunstore job in Silver Spring this Winter

http://www.nbc4.com/news/2743959/detail.html
5 Rifles Taken From Silver Spring Gun Store

Tow Truck Used In Smash, Grab Robbery

POSTED: 11:02 AM EST January 6, 2004
UPDATED: 12:10 PM EST January 6, 2004
SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Police say thieves used an unusual method to gain entry to a gun store Tuesday morning in Silver Spring, Md.



Atlantic Gun Store Robbery About 4 a.m., police in Montgomery County, Md., say an alarm sounded at the Atlantic Gun Shop in the 900 block of Bonifant Street.


When officers arrived they found that someone used a stolen tow truck to pull open the bars and the front door. Police said the thieves then stole five rifles, among them four assault-style rifles.

"Apparently the two truck was stolen from Prince George's County yesterday morning," said Montgomery County police Lt. John Hack. "The culprits used the tow truck and the cable to pull the door away from the building and then made their entry."

Once inside, the thieves smashed a glass display case and took four AR-15s, which are semi-automatic assault rifles and one .308, a hunting rifle with a scope.

Police said the crooks acted fast. "We were there in less than one minute. They were in and out, smashed, grabbed and ran. Now we have five rifles, high-powered rifles, on the street somewhere. That's my concern," Hack said.

Copyright 2004 by nbc4.com.

 

[moa]

Looks like we have a gang of smash and grab gun theives in this part of Maryland. I wonder if the police will stake-out the other gun stores? I do not think there are that many of them in the Montgomery County area.

I would think Atlantic Guns is Rockville would be good choice. Sort of off the beaten path. And the gun store in Kensington looks like a crackerbox.

 

[RustyHammer]

Tow trucks ought to be outlawed!

 

[Daedalus]

223 counts as a"High Powered Rifle"?

 

[N3rday]

Daedalus, thats exactly what I said about the Washington sniper shootings- They claimed he had a "high-powered" "sniper rifle".

An AR seems pretty LOW powered to me, andf it certainly is NO sniper rifle!

 

[Kharn]

Well, at least the crooks will only be able to get 20 round mags for the ARs...

Kharn

 

[Harry Tuttle]

.225?

Rifles taken in gun store burglary

http://www.gazette.net/200402/burtonsville/news/195830-1.html

by -- Meredith Hooker
Jan. 7, 2004

Burglars took five rifles and possibly other firearms from a Silver Spring gun store early Tuesday morning.

An alarm went off about 4 a.m. at Atlantic Guns, 944 Bonifant St. When officers arrived, they saw a tow truck in front of the store. The engine was running and its tow cable was lying on the ground, according to Montgomery County Police. The front door of the store was smashed in.

Police said five AR-15 type weapons, which are .225-caliber rifles, were missing, and other guns may also have been taken.

The building and the surrounding area were searched for suspects but none were located, according to police. It was learned that the tow truck had been reported stolen on Jan. 5 to the Prince George's County Police Department.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Firearms Task Force at 301-840-7332 or Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777.

 

[jimpeel]

The gunsmith in Longmont, CO was burgled and they took the entire safe. They found it in a field, still in the back of a stolen pickup truck with the back cut out of it and all of the firearms removed. He shoulda had the safes bolted to the floor but who knew.

My friend had several firearms consigned there including his prized Parker double barreled shotgun which has likely become sawn off by now.

 

[tyme]

transcript-
The Montgomery County police are on the scene of a bizarre, daring, early morning crash and bang burglary at a gun shop in Silver Spring.

News4's Megan Mcgrath live on the scene in the 900 block of Bonifant St. to tell us more about what's going on there this morning, Megan?

Well good morning. There's actually a crew here on the scene trying to repair the damage that's been done to the front door here.

It was about 4am when an alarm began to sound here at the Atlantic Gun Shop in Silver Spring. Police arived on the scene to discover that somebody had used a stolen towtruck to pull open the front door and the bars. The thieves stole five rifles, among them four assault-style rifles.

Atlantic Guns in Silver Spring
Behind the door and plate-glass windows are metal bars, bars intended to keep intruders out. But early this morning, thieves found a way around them. They used a stolen towtruck. A cable, normally used to pull cars, was attached to the front door.

[blockquote](Lt. John Hack, MG County Police) Apparently the towtruck was stolen from Prince George's County yesterday morning, and the culprits used the towtruck and the cable to pull the door away from the building and then made their entry.[/blockquote]

Once inside, the thieves smashed a glass display case. Five rifles were stolen: four ar-15s wich are semi-automatic assault rifles, and one 308, a hunting rifle with a scope. Police say it appears the suspects knew what they were looking for, and acted fast.

[blockquote]We were there within less than one minute. They were in and out, smashed, grabbed, and ran. So they got away very quickly. (He ends this sentence smiling.) Now we have five rifles, high-powered rifles, very dangerous, on the street somewhere. That's my concern.[/blockquote]

And the towtruck used in this heist belongs to Advanced Towing and Storage, that's a company with an address in Virginia, although police tell us that the towtruck was actually stolen from Prince George's County. It was reported stolen yesterday morning.

And of course, police looking for any information that someone might have with regard to this case. They would very much like to find those responsible for this break-in, and they would like to recover those stolen weapons.

 

[jimpeel]

Did the BGs stop to fill out a 4473 for those rifles? Ya think they called NICS?

 

[feedthehogs]

Adding all the media hyped terms, assault rifle, high powered rifle to this gun store robbery is getting old and worn out.

A gun is a gun, is a gun, is a gun.

 

[WonderNine]

223 counts as a"High Powered Rifle"?

Ever since the D.C. sniper shootings.

Don't you watch the news?