Speaking of gun trafficking: WJLA-Washington, D.C., reports that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says 7,858 guns were stolen from licensed gun dealers in 2016, a rise of 76 percent in just 4 years.
In 2012, there were 377 gun store burglaries; in 2016, that number was 558. In addition, ATF reported 12 robberies of gun stores, versus 33 in 2016. A robbery differs from a burglary in that it involves threatening a human being, not simply breaking and entering with the intent to commit a crime.
Referring to the March 9 burglary of the United Gun Shop in Rockville, Md., ATF Special Agent Dave Cheplak said, “It’s obvious that the criminals in this particular case were not looking to simply add firearms to their own personal collections. These guns are destined to wind up on the streets of Baltimore and D.C. They’ll be traded for narcotics; they’ll be sold to anyone who’s willing to buy them." The burglars netted 31 firearms in less than 90 seconds.
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