Owner of burglarized Mercer gun shop talks after four arrested
Four suspects have been arrested in connection to the break-in at Seconds Count Firearms in Mercer where thieves stole several guns, including AR-15 assault-style rifles.
According to Pittsburgh Police, Violence Prevention Unit Detectives stopped a White Hyundai Accent at W. Warrington Avenue and Saw Mill Run Blvd. in Pittsburgh. Police say people in the car were believed to be involved in an early morning burglary and theft of 21 firearms from Seconds Count Firearms on Courthouse Square in Mercer Borough.
Mercer Borough Police Chief Robert Davis, said police in Pittsburgh had been searching for the vehicle in relation to the incident.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has asked authorities to stop and hold the car as part of their investigation.
During the traffic stop, detectives said they could see firearms in plain view inside the car.
The four suspects were taken to Pittsburgh Police headquarters to be interviewed by ATF agents. One of those suspects was identified as 19-year-old Mehki Reed of Pittsburgh. He was charged with person not to possess a firearm.
The names of the other three suspects have not been released, as they are all juveniles. The three juveniles have been charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and receiving stolen property.
The arrests came after a car crashed through the display window of Seconds Count Firearms at the corner of North Diamond Street and North Pitt Street Monday morning.
Police say three male suspects pulled up to the store around 5:15 a.m., waited several minutes, and then crashed through the window. Video surveillance shows masked suspects removing ten AR-15 rifles from the store before fleeing.
Monday morning's break-in came approximately 24 hours after a burglary at Dukes Sport Shop on New Butler Road, Shenango Township, Lawrence County. Township police say several suspects went through the front door and left with an assortment of firearms.
The owner of Seconds Count Firearms Thomas Surano, said he opened the store four years ago and now he and his family are left putting it back together.
"You put your heart and soul into a business and then just kids wanting to be idiots destroy everything you've built up over years. Your name, your reputation, everything," Surano said.
The business owner said the store is now facing a huge financial burden. Surano told 21 News the store has lost close to $20,000 in inventory alone and the cost to repair the building could cost them more.
Surano hopes to open his business back up within three months.