MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
NEWS RELEASE FROM BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES (ATF)
ATF offers reward in gun store burglaries
ATF, area law enforcement agencies and the firearms industry seek public’s help in firearms thefts from The Gun Store and Keith Warner Gunsmith
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in conjunction with the Memphis, Germantown and Collierville Police Departments, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for those responsible for the theft of firearms from The Gun Store and Keith Warner Gunsmith, both federal firearm licensees (FFL).
On April 20, 2020, The Gun Store, in Memphis, Tenn. was burglarized where several firearms were reported stolen.
On April 23, 2020, the Keith Warner Gunsmith in Germantown, Tenn. was burglarized where several firearms were reported stolen.
ATF Industry Operations Investigators responded to the FFL’s and are in the process of conducting an inventory to determine the exact number of firearms stolen.
Up to $15,000 reward offered in case of area gun store burglaries
In addition to the two actual FFL thefts, there were at least 8 additional attempted thefts of firearms from FFL’s in the area during the past week.
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ATF is offering the reward for the amount of up to $15,000, which the NSSF has provided $5,000 of the total amount. This reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the NSSF and ATF in which NSSF matches ATF’s reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers.
“ATF works closely with members of the firearms industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms. ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson said, “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence will leverage investigative resources combined with community partnerships to recover the stolen firearms.”
Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or Memphis Police Department at (901) 528-2274.
Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov, through ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.
Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit® app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App store, or by visiting www.reportit.com.
ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes, and regulates the firearm industry. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.
