Reports show gun theft increase

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A new report shows Georgia has one of the highest rates for stolen firearms from gun and pawn shops across the country last year.

“A gun theft at gun stores unfortunately are a common occurrence.” said John Martin

John Martin is a co-owner here at the Shooter’s Depot, which has stores in Tennessee and Georgia. He says that theft at your local gun stores or pawn shops occurs more than you can imagine.

Forcible entry and armed robbery are just two ways he says gun theft occurs and the other which is more common, is what he calls the “Shell and Nut Game”

John Martin said ” The shell and nut game where you get two or three customers on a sales person and that sales person is not paying attention to what he is doing, either places too many guns out on the counter and the when he start putting them up he doesn’t realize he is missing one.”

With Georgia having a higher number of gun thefts, officials warn residents not to buy a weapon from just anybody—because it’s history may be suspect.

“The history of the firearm over the course of its lifetime may go from the criminal element to an individual that unknowingly purchase that firearm even though it’s stolen and that firearm may change hands several times both from the criminal aspect as well as the legal aspect and then eventually end up being recovered as a result of a crime.” Michael Knight, ATF Special Agent.

Gun stores are taking more steps to keep the thieves from getting away with a firearm.

John Martin states “It is no sales person that is allowed to get more than one gun out at a time, so if there is one gun out on the counter and you wanted to see another one I have to take that gun and put it back in the counter and bring the other one out, it’s a whole lot easier to watch one gun even if there are three people in front of you.”

If you are a gun owner, remember that burglars are also looking for weapons. it”s advised that you take the precautions to ensure gun theft doesn’t happen to you.

The Shooter’s Depot has had two firearms stolen. Both of the guns have since been recovered.