Hundreds of guns have been stolen from a Tennessee UPS facility, and investigators are seeking the public’s help as they look to arrest suspects and recover the weapons, federal officials said Monday.
The Memphis Police Department isn’t prepared to say what types of guns were stolen from the Brooks Road UPS facility Sunday night. Investigators said two men in a U-Haul van were caught on camera taking the weapons.
Authorities said they are still in the process of reviewing shipping manifests to determine what’s missing, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is leading the investigation, said that about 400 guns were reported stolen.
Bureau spokesman Michael Knight told The Associated Press the heist is one of the largest single gun thefts the ATF has investigated.
“We are concerned that the firearms will end up on the streets not only potentially in the Memphis area, but also across the country,” he said. “The criminal element knows no geographical boundary.”
The bureau, in conjunction with Memphis police, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
In a press release Monday, ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson said, “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence will leverage investigative resources combined with the community partnerships to solve this violent criminal act.”
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the ATF at 800-283-4867 or the Memphis Police Department at 901-528-2274. Information can also be sent through the ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.
