Burglars attempted to steal weapons from two other gun stores in the region in recent days.
Officers arrived on the scene within 30 seconds after the store alarm was triggered at the Beavercreek store, but the thieves were gone.
“My hunch is whoever stole them did a quick job getting them out of their hands and into someone else’s hands,” said Capt. Eric Grile. “ (My) concern is these weapons, if taken by juveniles, will end up in the hands of criminals on the street who probably will sell them.”
Beavercreek police have not released surveillance video of the burglary at the request of ATF.
Burglars attempted to break into the Vandalia Range and Armory on Corporate Center Drive, on Friday but bars blocked their path after they broke the front door. This is the third time the Vandalia Range and Armory has been burglarized since August 2015, but was the first time burglars left without guns.
The owners of Vandalia Range and Armory declined to comment.
On Monday, burglars attempted a break-in at Wells Armory in West Chester.
William Wells, the owner of Wells Armory, told the Journal-News that five masked thieves who tried to steal weapons from his store left empty-handed, driving off in an SUV and sedan.
“They didn’t get anything,” said Wells. “They just busted out our front window. Anything of real value we lock in safes at night, so they can’t get to it.”
The surveillance cameras from the shop captured the burglars using a rock to break the front window and fleeing the scene when the store’s security lights flashed and alarm sounded about a minute after they entered the building.
This was the first time Well’s West Chester location has been broken into, and only the second time in the 21 years he has been in the weapons business.
“It’s a part of the game,” said Wells. “You can’t keep them out. They can get it if they have enough time; it’s just you try to make sure they can’t get anything.
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