Police are worried that 80 guns stolen in a break-in at a heavily secured gun shop in Vernon, B. C., may be used to fuel the drug trade. Forty handguns and 40 rifles and shotguns were stolen from the Del Selin Gunsmith shop in the city's downtown sometime between Saturday night and Tuesday, RCMP said yesterday. The thieves gained access to the two-storey shop through a skylight. Then they deactivated the alarm system by snipping wires and cut a hole through the ceiling of the shop. Once inside, the thieves grabbed almost everything that was not locked up, including guns, binoculars, telescopes and assorted knives. Investigators estimate more than $50,000 worth of weapons were stolen. RCMP spokesman Gord Molendyk said investigators are extremely concerned with where the weapons have ended up. "The individuals who did this are not going to register the guns or use them for what they are intended for," he said. "Do I think they're going to wind up for illegal purposes? Yes I do. They're going to be used in the drug trade. These handguns are going to be used for robberies, intimidations, all of those things. That is our concern: the amount of guns on the street."
The break-in lasted at least 30 minutes and would have required special tools to cut through the store's ceiling, Mr. Molendyk said. Even so, it was luck that the thieves were not able to penetrate a "bunker-style" area located at the back of the shop that contained more weapons. "This gunsmith has been in business here for many, many years. It's a well-established business in Vernon," he said. "The store is heavily barred and secure. The shopkeepers have done quite a bit to secure this building." Mr. Molendyk said he does not believe there were any surveillance cameras at the business.
Vernon Mayor Wayne Lippert said he frequents the gun shop and knows the owners personally. He said most residents were not worried for their personal safety. "In Vernon, it's more of a rural area. They [residents] have firearms themselves so it doesn't scare most residents because hunting and fishing is pretty common," he said. "It's not the same impact if this had happened in Vancouver or Toronto." Mr. Lippert says the community has come together over the past few years to eradicate the illegal drug problem in Vernon. "Things like this happen," he said. "It's a concern and can be considered a setback."
It's not clear exactly what day the break-in happened or how many people may have been involved in the thefts. Police have no descriptions of the suspect or suspects. Investigators say the gun shop is located in a busy area of Vernon, and are urging anyone who may have seen anything suspicious near the store to contact police. Vernon is about 50 kilo-metres north of Kelowna in the B. C. Interior.
