Concord police investigate latest in string of local gun shop break-ins

CONCORD, N.C. — Police in Concord are investigating after they said thieves smashed a stolen SUV into a gun store overnight.

The suspects crashed the Mercedes SUV into the side door of Eagle Guns and Range on Roberta Church Road just before 3 a.m.

Firefighters responded to the alarm call found the SUV had left a gaping hole in the business.

The shop owner told Channel 9 that the side entrance is actually an emergency exit and that's what triggered the alarm.

No suspect information has been released but police are looking at surveillance video from the store.

Police would not say how many weapons the thieves were able to make off with, but the store owner told Channel 9 that they smashed a glass case and stole at least 10 semi-automatic guns.

Police said the Mercedes had been reported stolen out of Charlotte on Oct. 16.

The store owner said the break-in could have been much worse.

“They didn't know much about firearms because they went for the least expensive guns they grabbed in the little bit of time they had in there,” said Dustin Helms.

Friday morning’s incident is the latest in a string of break-ins at area pawn and gun shops.

The store owner told Channel 9 that someone tried to break into his shop nearly two weeks ago.

It was a similar situation, as a stolen car was used to ram the building, but wasn't able to get through.

Since then, he said he's increased security around the store, and also been keeping an eye on similar break-ins at other local gun shops.

On Tuesday, someone broke into Ideal Sportsman on Highway 601 in Concord.

Police said they responded to an alarm that went off and found that the burglars had broken in through the roof to steal guns.

Similar crimes targeting gun stores were reported last month.

In security footage from inside Aim and Defend in Lowell, the suspects can be seen kicking the front glass door, bending the security bars and then running into the shop and stealing weapons.

That same day, suspects used a stolen car to break through the front doors of Repent Arms in Concord.

Police said these type of crimes are growing -- more than 420 guns have been stolen in the Charlotte area this year.

Detectives are still investigating but said it is too early to say if the cases are connected.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.

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