Police were called to Cabela’s on 64 Ave. N.E. at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a break-in. Officers arrived on scene to find the front doors smashed and several guns stolen.
The perpetrator made a beeline for the four glass display cases that housed the firearms. He made away with nine handguns and three restricted rifles with a total value of more than $10,000. He was in and out in under four minutes, police said.
“It’s just scary to hear about that…now that those guns are on the street,” said Ianessa Monaghan, who was shopping at a nearby store and lives in the area.
A store manager was in a back room of the store during the break in, which happened sometime around 4:40 a.m. The manager didn’t hear the breaking glass, so the incident was not noticed until nearly two hours later.
“I’m concerned–these are quality firearms and I know in two or three weeks, or two or three months, that we’ll be finding these at the scene of violent offences,” Staff Sgt. Quinn Jacques said. “That’s what’s disappointing.”
Police are now working in collaboration with the Canadian Firearms Centre and the chief firearms officer to determine whether the firearms were stored in accordance with the regulations of the Firearms Act.
It’s something others are also questioning.
“It’s quite dangerous–the security level is pretty low, and I think they should step up the security level, especially around the stores like that,” said Kamran Mohamad, who works for another retailer in the same area as as Cabela’s.
A manager at the sporting goods store said no one locally with the company would provide any comment.
Corporate officials at Cabela’s Nebraska head office did not respond to a similar request by Global News.
Surveillance footage shows the subject wearing a black balaclava, blue jeans, black running shoes and a grey hoodie with long blue sleeves and a logo reading GSRD. He carried a red and white Tommy Hilfiger duffle bag.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
With files from Global’s Mia Sosiak
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