CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than $5,000 worth of firearms were stolen from a west Charlotte gun store on Thanksgiving, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.
According to a police report obtained by WCNC Charlotte, officers responded to a reported break-in at Blackstone Shooting Sports on Wilkinson Boulevard around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 28. When officers arrived, they were told someone broke into the store and stole approximately $5,800 worth of merchandise, including six guns and ammunition.
Whether the guns are stolen from cars, homes, or in this case a gun store, stolen guns are a public safety problem.
“All of us at gun stores are worried of break-ins, it’s a huge problem, and the crooks are smarter than ever,” the Owner of Hyatt Guns, Larry Hyatt, said.
Hyatt said these types of break-ins are a concern because of where these guns could end up.
“Stolen guns don’t go through a background check. It doesn’t go through age requirements,” said Hyatt. “It can go right to a criminal or someone not qualified to buy a gun.”
His business too has been a target by criminals.
“We have had so many attempts,” said Hyatt. “We have been fortunate they have not been successful, but the damage they have done to our building, the air conditioner, the front building, the back door, they have tried everything.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives oversees about 2000 federal firearms licensed dealers in North Carolina.
The agency said when there is a break-in one of their special agents is sent in to assist with the investigation.
A spokesperson with the ATF said although the numbers fluctuate from year to year, they tend to see an increase in gun store break-ins closer to the end of the year, or during major disasters like hurricanes or power loss.
The ATF reported 259 firearms stolen from gun stores last year, 333 in 2022, 119 in 2021, and 602 in 2020.
The agency works closely with businesses to share the best practices to keep their inventory safe, from camera systems to metal gates, and ways to protect their entrances and exits.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that regulates us have been working with gun stores, to beef up our security and make sure we understand our weak point,” said Hyatt. “The guns stores across the country have beefed up their security, technology, cameras, live cameras so it is not just a picture of a criminal we want to catch a criminal.”
CMPD hasn't released any suspect information or announced any arrests.
Anyone with information about this incident or any other crime is asked to call Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and information that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.