Dozens of guns valued altogether at several thousand dollars were stolen from West Side Bait Shop at the west edge of Iola.
The guns were taken Wednesday night, store owner Leonard Barnett told the Register. Broken glass cases containing the guns were shattered, and other merchandise was scattered throughout the store.
Barnett said the thieves also broke into the cash register, taking an unspecified amount of money.
The burglary apparently wasn’t well thought out, Barnett noted. The thieves unsuccessfully attempted to kick out a window only to find bars were in place to block their entry. So they tried a second window, again unsuccessfully. Then a third.
“I wonder how long it took them to figure out they weren’t going to get in through the window,” Barnett said.
Access eventually was gained through the front door.
The store’s burglar alarm may have malfunctioned, Barnett said, although something occurred during the theft that apparently spooked the thieves because some guns had apparently been left behind. Others were found about a block away.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Iola Police Department, is in charge of the investigation. The bait shop is situated just outside Iola’s city limit.
“Every break-in is serious; every crime is serious,” Sheriff Tom Williams said. “But when you have guns stolen, it makes it even more so. We’d really like to get the public’s help in solving this.”
Anyone with information regarding the crime is encouraged to contact Allen County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.allencountycs.org. Calls also may be made to 911 or the sheriff’s office, 365-1400.
Break-in a struggle for firearms burglars
