Teens arrested after ramming truck into Tucson gun store, stealing guns

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has arrested multiple juveniles, ages 14 to 17, in connection with an Oct. 8 ram-raid burglary at SNG Tactical, a Tucson gun store, and recovered several stolen firearms.

Snapshot

Deputies responded to a vehicle crash at the store near Palo Verde Road and Dodge Boulevard around 6 a.m. on Oct. 8 and determined a vehicle had been used to ram through the entrance, after which multiple suspects entered and stole several rifles and handguns. The sheriff's department announced the arrests on Oct. 20, according to Bearing Arms.

Key points

• The method: A vehicle was driven through the storefront to breach SNG Tactical before multiple suspects entered and stole guns, per the initial police report.
• The suspects: All those arrested so far are juveniles between 14 and 17 years old.
• A pattern: Bearing Arms notes similar recent cases, including juvenile and adult arrests after a smash-and-grab at The Gun Locker in Hesperia, California, and teens arrested in Pflugerville, Texas, in late August.
• Open questions: Police have not said whether these suspects are also tied to a separate break-in at Elite Guns and Tactical in Tucson, whose owner said he may have to close after that burglary.
• The columnist's view: Bearing Arms' Cam Edwards argues lawmakers in states like California, Colorado, and Washington focus on restricting lawful buyers while juveniles face little real consequence for stealing guns outright.

Quick take

Edwards contends there's no easy legislative fix for ram-raid burglaries, since store owners already invest heavily in security against thieves willing to use stolen vehicles as battering rams. He argues the clearest step lawmakers could take is ensuring real consequences for anyone caught stealing firearms, juvenile or not, warning that without that, these crimes will keep happening.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com