With a team of late night burglars crashing through a neighboring business wall to make their entry, some $40,000 worth of firearms and accessories were stolen from a Washington state gun store recently. The thieves' haul included a variety of XD pistols-- and the feds are offering a reward for their recovery.
View attachment 1872
(Some 30 Springfield XDs in 9mm, 40S&W, and .45ACP such as the one shown above, were stolen. Photo by ATF)
The incident
Lakewood, Washington, (Pop. 58,000) in quiet Pierce County south of the Sea-Tac Lewis-McChord area, is the kind of place that sees little crime. However, on the night of Oct. 29, Quantico Tactical, located at 12314 Pacific Highway Southwest was extensively burglarized. Breaking in first to a vacant neighboring unit in the strip mall that held the gun shop, a team of hard-entry vandals then crashed through the shared wall into Quantico sometime around 11:30 p.m., circumventing the heavily secured and barred door of the gun store.
Taken, according to KIRO-TV, was, "Approximately 30 Springfield Armory pistols in calibers 9 mm, .40, and .45 were stolen along with several upper and lower receivers for 5.56 mm rifles and an assortment of high quality Eotech, Trijicon and Bushnell optical rifle scopes and magnifiers."
View attachment 1871
(A representation of what was stolen from Quantico Tactical near Ft. Lewis, Washington. Photo by ATF)
The investigation
With the quantity of firearms stolen, and the fact that they were taken from a Federal Firearms Licensee, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is handling the investigation. While authorities state they do have some surveillance footage available, they aren't making any further comments until they have a full idea of what is stolen.
ATF Special Agent Bennett told local media they were, "Trying to match up what firearms are missing and what are the regular parts of the inventory and once they get an exact number with serial numbers those will be entered into the NCIC Database and those guns will show up as stolen."
How you can help
If you live in the general Pacific Northwest area and find a good deal on a NIB XD, be especially aware of who you are buying it from. If you think you have any information that can help or a tip to recovering the firearms or apprehending those who stole them, contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at 1-800-283-4867 or the Lakewood Police Department at 253-830-5000.
You can also contact the ATF Seattle Office directly by phone and email.
The ATF, matched by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the theft.
In the meantime, remember to record the serial numbers of your own firearm collection in a safe place for both insurance and recovery information should they ever be stolen.
View attachment 1872
(Some 30 Springfield XDs in 9mm, 40S&W, and .45ACP such as the one shown above, were stolen. Photo by ATF)
The incident
Lakewood, Washington, (Pop. 58,000) in quiet Pierce County south of the Sea-Tac Lewis-McChord area, is the kind of place that sees little crime. However, on the night of Oct. 29, Quantico Tactical, located at 12314 Pacific Highway Southwest was extensively burglarized. Breaking in first to a vacant neighboring unit in the strip mall that held the gun shop, a team of hard-entry vandals then crashed through the shared wall into Quantico sometime around 11:30 p.m., circumventing the heavily secured and barred door of the gun store.
Taken, according to KIRO-TV, was, "Approximately 30 Springfield Armory pistols in calibers 9 mm, .40, and .45 were stolen along with several upper and lower receivers for 5.56 mm rifles and an assortment of high quality Eotech, Trijicon and Bushnell optical rifle scopes and magnifiers."
View attachment 1871
(A representation of what was stolen from Quantico Tactical near Ft. Lewis, Washington. Photo by ATF)
The investigation
With the quantity of firearms stolen, and the fact that they were taken from a Federal Firearms Licensee, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is handling the investigation. While authorities state they do have some surveillance footage available, they aren't making any further comments until they have a full idea of what is stolen.
ATF Special Agent Bennett told local media they were, "Trying to match up what firearms are missing and what are the regular parts of the inventory and once they get an exact number with serial numbers those will be entered into the NCIC Database and those guns will show up as stolen."
How you can help
If you live in the general Pacific Northwest area and find a good deal on a NIB XD, be especially aware of who you are buying it from. If you think you have any information that can help or a tip to recovering the firearms or apprehending those who stole them, contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at 1-800-283-4867 or the Lakewood Police Department at 253-830-5000.
You can also contact the ATF Seattle Office directly by phone and email.
The ATF, matched by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the theft.
In the meantime, remember to record the serial numbers of your own firearm collection in a safe place for both insurance and recovery information should they ever be stolen.
