TUCSON — A pre-dawn break-in at an east-side gun store turned into an hours-long standoff Monday, only for Tucson police to learn the burglars had left before officers ever arrived.
Officers from the department’s Operations Division East responded to a burglary in the 100 block of South Camino Seco, near Broadway Boulevard, KVOA reported, citing the Tucson Police Department. The business is Elite Guns and Ammo, in the Camino Seco Business Plaza.
How it unfolded
The store’s owner told News 4 Tucson that people broke in before 6 a.m. According to the Arizona Daily Star, which cited KOLD, the owner said he called police after his security cameras alerted him to intruders.
Because police had information that the suspects might still be inside, officers surrounded the building. KOLD’s crew reported a large law-enforcement presence, including the SWAT team, and KVOA said a K-9 unit also responded. Police closed Camino Seco between Broadway and Old Spanish Trail and warned drivers it could stay shut for several hours.
After several hours on scene, officers determined that the suspects had left before police got there, TPD said. KVOA reported that a police SWAT vehicle tore the front door off the business during the operation.
What was taken
The owner told KVOA he is not yet sure which firearms were stolen. Police have not announced any arrests or released descriptions of suspects. Federal rules require licensed gun dealers to report stolen firearms to the ATF within 48 hours of discovering the loss, which typically starts a separate federal trace of the missing weapons.
How to help
Tucson police are asking anyone with information to call 911, or 88-CRIME to remain anonymous. Thee Arizona Times will update this story if police release details on the suspects or the number of guns taken.
Photo: Gillfoto via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). File photo of a Tucson Police patrol car; not from the scene.