ATF investigating break-in at gun shop in Beech Grove
BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — A theft investigation is underway after a break-in at a gun range in Beech Grove, officials say.
Investigators say three men used a pickup truck just after 3 a.m. Sunday to ram the front door of Beech Grove Firearms, 3020 S. Emerson Ave.
Two of the suspects helped guide the driver toward the front door, then the truck hit the door three times before making a hole big enough for them to get inside.
Once inside, surveillance video shows, the suspects headed for two handgun cases. One suspect used a hammer to bust the glass on the cases, and then the suspects started throwing guns into duffel bags.
Then they were gone, running to a getaway car around the back of the building.
Authorities were unable to confirm for News 8 whether anyone has been arrested.
The store owner, Greg Burge, told News 8 that he believes the burglars knew exactly what they wanted. It’s believed the suspects had visited the store last week.
According to police, the truck used to break through the front door was stolen a few hours before during a carjacking on Washington Street.
Suzanne Dabkowaki, public information officer for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told News 8 that agents were investigating the scene and working to determine how many firearms were stolen.
In December 2020, four men armed with a sledgehammer and backpacks tried to get into Beech Grove Firearms around 5 a.m. on a Sunday, and police say the Beech Grove store was not their only stop. Shortly after that incident, the ATF sent an email to all federally licensed gun dealers in central Indiana that said two other stores had been hit the same morning.
Mayor Dennis Buckley criticized Marion County leaders for not doing enough to curb crime, but added that putting more cops on the street isn’t necessarily the answer either. A Second Amendment supporter, the mayor said he’s rethinking whether guns are more of a problem than a solution.
News 8’s Richard Essex and Gregg Montgomery contributed to this report.
(WISH Video/Richard Essex)
