Feds investigate Lynnwood gun thefts

LYNNWOOD — Federal authorities are calling the heist of about 100 handguns from a Lynnwood gun shop a “significant” burglary and are chasing down whoever may be responsible.

Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are actively and aggressively investigating, spokeswoman Cheryl Bishop said Monday.

The bureau is working with Lynnwood police to catalog all the weapons stolen from Lynnwood Gun and Ammunition sometime after closing Thursday and before the store opened Friday.

Serial numbers from the stolen firearms will be entered into a federal database, and the guns will be flagged if they’re recovered or sold to a pawn shop.

It’s more likely the stolen weapons will circulate in a black market where criminals purchase illegal goods to avoid background checks.

Television news reports suggested that the burglars found a way into the store through its floor. Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions on Monday would not discuss what detectives suspect about how the burglar or burglars got into the shop.

Detectives were working Monday to canvass the neighborhood looking for clues, she said.

The store owner, who first called police to report the break-in, is cooperating with the investigation.

Police were not summoned to the store by any burglar alarm, Sessions said. The store did not have video surveillance systems.

“The details of his alarm system is part of the investigation,” she said.

About 100 handguns were stolen. No rifles or shotguns were taken.

Bishop said the firearm theft involved a “significant number” of weapons.

“The theft of any quantity of weapons is a concern for ATF,” she said. “We’re concerned.”

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.

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