Hurricane Looters Steal 225 Guns, But Could Have Been Prevented

If there's one thing people like to do after a natural disaster, it's steal other people's belongings. In this case, it was 225 firearms from a South Carolina gun shop. The owner is obviously stunned, and has made comments about wishing he could have done more to prevent this theft to keep these guns out of the wrong hands.

They're hopeful that the police will catch those responsible, but who knows if the culprits will ever actually be caught. The guns will likely be sold underground for a fraction of what they cost new, and the serial numbers are likely already removed.

One thing remains true: The gun shop owner should have done a better job of protecting his merchandise and livelihood. While it's too late this time around, future gun store owners can learn a thing or two from this sad incident. Here's a short video detailing what happened: Click here to watch the video.

First, it should be common sense that guns need to be locked up in a safe, especially during a natural disaster when more people are known to break in and steal stuff, and not left out in the open.

I know of gun stores with an entire safe room that is nearly impenetrable. The keyword there is “nearly” but it is still a deterrent, and one that may force the thieves to move on to the next place in search of an easier target.

Remove remainder to the back where it cannot be seen.

If your safe doesn't fit all of the guns you have, at least remove the rest of them out of the showroom floor so they cannot be seen from the doorway. The thieves may have moved on to the next shop if they thought the guns were locked up or moved off location. Maybe not, but it's better than nothing, and most criminals aren't willing to risk going to jail unless they know there is a reward for their risk.

This gun shop owner literally left the glass cases filled with handguns. If that's not a “welcome” sign, I don't know what is.

Stay there.

I just spoke to a gun shop owner who said he wouldn't go home until it was safe to do so. He said he'd stay at his gun shop to act as another form of protection to keep his guns from being robbed and brought outside to people who obviously cannot pass a background check.

While this sounds extreme, it's true that you're less likely to get looted if there is an armed guard present.

Sadly, it takes an incident like this for us to learn. And, this is another ammo can on the side of the gun-grabbers. As enthusiasts and shop owners, we need to be on our toes to make sure we don't become a part of a statistic, whether it's stolen guns or negligent discharges. We all need to do our part to fight the good fight.

Let us know what you would have done differently in the comments below. Then, make sure you sign up for Gun Carrier's FREE Newsletter to make sure you never miss a shot.

Both photos and video from Tuscon News Now