This latest burglary may be connected to similar theft that was caught on video in Maryland.
Earlier this week we told you about the 31 guns taken in a smash-and-grab burglary in Maryland.
Now the Fairfax Times reports another major gun shop burglary just about 30 miles away from where that crime happened in Chantilly, Virginia. This time, three suspects made off with 35 firearms from 50 West Armory on Saturday.
The similarities between the two crimes are not lost on investigators, who are looking into them to see if they are related. "We are investigating the possibility," Fairfax County Police Department spokesperson Tawny Wright told the Fairfax Times.
Security camera footage captured the suspects carrying a large plastic tub out of the store. It is believed only handguns were taken in this crime.
Just like with the Maryland burglary, the ATF has gotten involved with investigating the case.
Here are descriptions of the suspects as released by the FCPD and reported by the Fairfax Times.
Suspect 1: Black male, about 22 to 30 years old, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, and approximately 190 to 210 pounds. He had dreadlocks and was wearing a dark blue jacket.
Suspect 2: Black male, about 18 to 22 years old, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall, and approximately 165 to 185 pounds. He was wearing a dark jacket with a silver stripe down the sleeves, jeans, black shoes, and light colored gloves.
Suspect 3: Black male, about 18 to 22 years old, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, and approximately 150 to 170 pounds. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, jeans, black shoes, and light colored gloves.
50 West Armory meanwhile, was down for a while as they cleaned up the mess made by the burglars. The store posted photos of the damage to their social media channels.
Unbelievably, the damage looks like it will be worse monetarily than the theft. Fox 5 News reports the value of the guns taken totals around $20,000, while damages will likely cost around $45,000. The station additionally reports the thieves were only in the store for 48 seconds.
"They proceeded to actually take what was closest to the front door," the store's manager Scott Wahl told the station. "We believe the reason they did that was because of the way that our alarm immediately went off."
Anyone with information on the incident is being asked to contact the FCFD at 703-591-0966.
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