St. Charles County police are currently investigating a break-in that occurred at Crown Guns, a firearms store, after an early morning alarm alerted them to the crime, as first reported by FOX 2 News. The suspects, who have yet to be identified due to their masked appearance, made off with multiple firearms. This burglary has raised concerns due to the potential flow of these weapons into the community.
Cpl. Barry Bayles, a spokesperson for the police department, expressed the urgent need to quickly apprehend those involved, stating, "We don’t know which direction it’s going to go, but due to the fact that there were several of them that were taken, we’re paying a lot of attention to it," in an interview obtained by FOX 2 News. Police also have started to work to potentially identify a suspect, as noted by First Alert 4, though details remain sparse at this time.
The burglary took place at Crown Guns, located at 1964 S. Old Hwy 94, around 3:20 A.M. yesterday. Officers responded promptly, yet arrived to find the suspects already gone. The owner of Crown Guns is currently assessing the inventory to identify the stolen firearms by serial number and other markers—a crucial step in aiding the recovery of the stolen goods and apprehending the perpetrators.
"We are coming after you," Cpl. Bayles said with resolve in his statement to 5 On Your Side. "We will track you down. We will find you. It doesn’t matter how long it takes." Investigators are actively examining surveillance footage, with Bayles expressing confidence that arrests will soon be made. This sentiment is aimed not only to reassure the public but also to serve as a warning to those responsible.
In the interim, the storefront has been temporarily shut, marked by boarded-up windows, as seen when the FOX 2 News crew arrived at the scene. Nearby businesses were unable to capture the incident on their security cameras, leaving the store's surveillance system as a key piece of evidence in the unfolding investigation.
