Two gun shops in Colorado Springs were burglarized on Thursday night, police said.
Police spokeswoman Caitlin Ford said a stolen car with several passengers crashed through the front of the Spartan Defense Armory & Training gun store in the northeast part of the city, just off Barnes Road and Powers Boulevard.
Before the car was abandoned, several firearms were stolen, police said.
Steven Kinder, general manager of Spartan Defense, said he was notified of the break-in at the store at 3:30 a.m.
Kinder said the thieves moved a concrete post that had just been installed and rocks from the front of the building to get to the front window with the vehicle – physical deterrent methods designed to prevent an incident like Thursday’s.
“They drove the car into the building five times before four of them ran in wearing masks and gloves,” Kinder said.
Kinder said the group was not after expensive items, ignoring a suitcase containing thousands of dollars’ worth of goods. Instead, the thieves were after items that could “practically arm” a person.
“They took handguns, ammunition and rifles, between eight and 12 firearms,” Kinder said.
Kinder said that while help from the public and other gun store owners was gratefully received following Thursday morning’s incident, safety concerns remain due to the damage to the store.
“It’s definitely a safety hazard. We used to have steel shutters, now we have a huge hole in the front of the store. It’s a huge loss to the community,” Kinder said.
Ford said the same Hyundai found parked at Spartan Defense in the 6100 block of Barnes Road was used in an attempted robbery at a gun store in the 4700 block of Peace Palace Point, just off Garden of the Gods Road and Centennial Boulevard.
Police said a bumper at the DCF Guns store in Peace Palace Point matched that of the vehicle parked at Spartan Defense. No guns were stolen from DCF Guns because the suspects were unable to get through the two doors used as a security measure, Gazette news partner KOAA reported.
The series of burglaries and attempted crimes on Thursday follows a similar case on July 31, when a group of thieves stole several handguns.
Connie Rogers, owner of Spruce Defense, said the incident caused between $20,000 and $30,000 in damage to the storefront. It was the second time in six months that a stolen vehicle had driven into the front of the local gun store.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the break-ins and thefts in July or on Thursday.
