Reward offered in May gun theft
Police are looking for this man in connection with a robbery at a Missoula pawn shop, where he allegedly stole a handgun that was recently recovered in the creek near Kellogg High School. A reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest.
Missoula PD
MISSOULA –– A reward is being offered for anyone with information about a robbery that occurred in May which resulted in the recovery of a handgun near Kellogg High School.
The robbery happened on May 16 at the Downtown Gun and Pawn in Missoula, when a lone male suspect entered the pawn shop and requested to see a firearm that was for sale. After the handgun was in his possession, the suspect left the store with the firearm and fled in a dark grey or silver Lexus bearing unknown out-of-state license plates.
The gun was found on Monday, May 20, by a KHS teacher, who discovered it inside a box while her class was picking up trash along Jackass Creek. The teacher immediately turned the firearm over to the school resource officer, police said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Denver Field Division, in conjunction with the Missoula Police Department and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leads to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those involved. This reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the two agencies where NSSF matches ATF’s reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers.
After the firearm was discovered, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office was able to trace it back to the theft and searched the school grounds thoroughly to ensure that there were no threats to the students.
SCSO Cap. Seth Green was surprised by the discovery, telling the News-Press that, “It’s very unusual for a stolen gun to be found this quickly.”
Anyone with information about this robbery should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov or through ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips. Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit app, or by visiting www.reportit.com.