Large gang targeting Birmingham area gun stores

[fatdog]

While we have had our share of smash and grap gun store burglaries over the years, the gang that is currently active up in Birmingham is the largest I can recall. 24 cars hit the parking lot at 4 a.m.?!?! Yikes

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/band-of-thieves-targeting-birmingham-area-gun-stores-2-hit-today.html

[ranger]

Similar events targeting Atlanta gun stores.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dozens-of-firearms-stolen-from-buckhead-gun-shop-during-weekend-looting/ar-BB14ZUfo?ocid=spartandhp

[ECS686]

A friend transferred to ATF a year ago He just told me they have had over 1,000 firearms reported stolen by FFL Dealers alone nationwide related to these Riots.

[Amp]

Several stores in NC have been hit this week.

[Caballoflaco]

While we have had our share of smash and grap gun store burglaries over the years, the gang that is currently active up in Birmingham is the largest I can recall. 24 cars hit the parking lot at 4 a.m.?!?! Yikes

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/band-of-thieves-targeting-birmingham-area-gun-stores-2-hit-today.html

Yeah, I saw that. They’ve hit several shops recently.

On of my workers lives in the aroebuck area, he was gassing up to go to work Monday morning after the unpleasantness Sunday night and a group of five or six cars full of youths returning from the festivities pulled in at the same time. He said several guns were visible. He also told me that despite there not being widespread looting in the area there are cars driving around at all hours of the night shooting in the air, including at least one group that has a full auto. From the way he described the sound I think it’s one of those auto plates for a glock because he said it went “brrrrrrppppp”

[Hieronymous]

Anytime civil unrest is stirring in STL, my local gun store has an arrangement that St. Louis County Police position a cruiser in their lot overnight. As a regular practice, they nightly remove all weapons from the retail space and store them in a walk-in safe room. I'm sure there is only so much one can do to mitigate the risk and there are many variables in play, but now seems like a good time for all gun stores to seriously review best practices.

Which reminds me, does anyone remember that story about a UPS facility getting hit and multiple firearms being stolen? I'd be curious if steps have been taken to assure those type of incidents can't easily be repeated.

[WobblyPossum]

An Albuquerque gun store was hit a few nights ago. News reported 115 handguns and 35 rifles stolen. The crew cut the power to disable the alarms and security cameras before they broke in according to the article.

[Amp]

Fayetteville police are investigating reports of at least 40 different guns stolen from several stores during the lootings that happened Saturday night.

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/cumberland-county-news/gun-thieves-shot-at-fayetteville-police-as-officers-responded-to-pawnshop-break-in-official-says/

[JRB]

An Albuquerque gun store was hit a few nights ago. News reported 115 handguns and 35 rifles stolen. The crew cut the power to disable the alarms and security cameras before they broke in according to the article.

It was very sophisticated. It's widely suspected based on the timing that they were using some sort of scanner monitoring method to ensure that PD assets were engaged with the protests/riots before moving the cut the power and start the burglary.
I'm told that FFL was an 02/07 SOT as well, which makes me nervous about SOT sorts of shit out in the wind with gangbangers. Very recently Albuquerque PD arrested a gangbanger type with one of those wish.com Glock selectors on a 9mm Glock of some kind.

[Jason M]

The same thing is happening in the Philadelphia / Wilmington area. Some have been successful, some were thwarted.

[OlongJohnson]

Anytime civil unrest is stirring in STL, my local gun store has an arrangement that St. Louis County Police position a cruiser in their lot overnight. As a regular practice, they nightly remove all weapons from the retail space and store them in a walk-in safe room. I'm sure there is only so much one can do to mitigate the risk and there are many variables in play, but now seems like a good time for all gun stores to seriously review best practices.

My LGS does the same. A few years ago, some thugs drove a stolen pickup into the front of the store. I was told that on video, they were able to be seen getting to one gun-like thing: a Magpul Rem 700 stock that was under glass. When they figured out there was no rifle in it, they left it. Damaged a lot of inventory and some furniture with the truck (mostly component bullets - the shop specializes in reloading), but no guns were lost.


blah, blah, blah...


Finally home in ABQ

Great to have you back, my friend!

[Amp]

Police were investigating a burglary at the Triangle Shooting Academy on Tuesday one week after other gun stores in the Triangle were targeted.

https://www.wral.com/burglary-reported-at-triangle-shooting-academy-one-week-after-other-gun-store-invasions/19136459/

[Suvorov]

It’s happened in Northern California as well. I know of a place in the East Bay and in Vacaville that got cleaned out.

Maybe we should require the thief’s to fill out 4473s and a NICS check before they leave?

[Nephrology]

It’s happened in Northern California as well. I know of a place in the East Bay and in Vacaville that got cleaned out.

Maybe we should require the thief’s to fill out 4473s and a NICS check before they leave?

Classic example of the gun show loophole being exploited. The FFL shows the gun on display, and then it gets taken! No more gun showing!

[Baldanders]

When I hear about those Wish.com full-auto selectors, I think "well, at least they reduced their chances of hitting anything they are aiming at."

I'd rather have my potential assailant have one of these on his Glock.