Boy young as 10 among suspects in Fort Worth gun shop firearm thefts, authorities say
A group of teenagers three weeks ago burglarized a Fort Worth gun shop and stole 10 guns that authorities said they feared may be used in violence.
Once inside the shop, Panther City Firearms at 3025 Lackland Road, the teenagers grabbed long guns and handguns from a back room and put them into bags they had brought with them, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Thursday.
Cameras recorded the suspects running south after the burglary about 2 a.m. on July 18.
The case is being jointly investigated by ATF and Fort Worth police.
“Our goal is to get viable information quickly as to the identity of the suspects, with the hopes of recovery before the firearms are used in crime. We are asking the public to please let authorities know if you recognize these individuals,” Jeffrey Boshek, the special agent in charge at the ATF Dallas office, wrote in a statement.
The ATF described three suspects and released surveillance video that was recorded inside the shop. One is between 15 and 19 years old, another between 14 and 18 years old and the third is between 10 and 14 years old.
The ATF, Fort Worth police and the National Shooting Sports Foundation offered a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects.
Someone with information about the burglary and thefts could call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 6:58 PM.
