Smash and grab burglaries can pose an existential threat to gun store owners. In just a few minutes, thieves can do hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to their shops; not only the physical destruction that takes place when they ram an SUV or truck into the storefront in order to gain access, but the loss of inventory when the thieves drive off (often in a second vehicle) with whatever they can scoop up before police arrive.
That's happened twice in recent days in Tucson, Arizona. Last week an unknown number of suspects rammed a vehicle into Elite Guns and Ammo and SNG Tactical, and though police are investigating they've so far made no arrests.
John Petrush, who owns John's Guns and Ammo, which is located almost next door to Elite Guns and Ammo, is so concerned that he's taking the unusual step of moving his truck in front of the doors of his shop after he closes for business every night so that there's another barrier between any would-be burglars and the firearms inside his store.
Petrush said he was already putting his inventory away each night prior to the burglaries as well as having customers call or ring his doorbell to come inside. John’s Guns and Ammo also has several security cameras.
Now, Petrush will be parking his truck parallel to the shop each night. He told News 4 Tucson he will no longer be leaving notices indicating he is away from the store, and he is being more vigilant about potential customers who want into his store.
He said detectives never notified him if the suspects in his years-old burglary case were found, but he believes those responsible for this week’s crimes will be caught.
“They’re always going to slip somewhere, whether it be a camera that catches them or just somebody walking by that’s seen something, Petrush said. “And if they come and say something, the likelihood is more so of them getting caught.”
Petrush's store was robbed four years ago, and the FFL was actually shot by one of the suspects. In a 2024 interview about the demise of the bump stock ban, Petrush told KOLD-TV that "wonderful members of society" had broken into his store, attempted to steal a gun, but dropped it outside and ended up shooting Petrush in the left armpit with a .45-caliber handgun.
If any of the suspects in that case had been arrested, Petrush probably would have heard about it, especially since he was injured by one of them. I'm guessing they got away with their crime, but I hope that Petrush's optimism about the suspects in the more recent burglaries getting caught isn't unfounded.
These burglaries can be absolutely devastating to FFLs. In fact, the owner of Elite Guns and Ammo says he's going to have to close his doors permanently as a result of the damage done to his business.
"My life’s in there," Herman said as police worked Monday morning. "I don’t have a 401k . . . whatever's gone is gone and the police are doing what they have to behind us right now."
Herman said Monday morning he was unsure what guns were stolen, but he believes the suspects were targeting certain weapons. He told News 4 Tucson the financial impact of the burglary will force him to close his business permanently.
"I’d love to get rid of all of it and probably try to go out of business before the year’s out," Herman said. "I’m done."
For Herman, the guns weren't the only thing taken from him. He was robbed of his livelihood as well.
Petrush may be using his truck as a makeshift barricade, but FFLs shouldn't have to turn their storefronts into fortresses every night just to have a reasonable expectation that they'll still have a business to open the next morning. Sadly, a lot of these smash-and-grabs are committed by juveniles, and even if they're caught they can face little time behind bars before they're back on the street and in a position to offend again. I don't know who's responsible for the damage done to Herman's business and SNG Tactical, but I hope they're caught, convicted, and sent away for as long as the law possibly allows.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their extreme gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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