Smith & Wesson AR-15 Sport Rifles Stolen from Englewood Freight Yard

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, May 14, 2014

About 13 semi-automatic assault rifles were reported stolen from a freight train container in an Englewood rail yard, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who were notified about the theft of the Smith & Wesson AR-15 Sport rifles in the on May 4th.
About 13 semi-automatic assault rifles were reported stolen from a freight train container in an Englewood rail yard, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who were notified about the theft of the Smith & Wesson AR-15 Sport rifles in the on May 4th.

Thirteen semi-automatic assault rifles were reported stolen from a freight train container in an Englewood rail yard, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who were notified about the theft of the Smith & Wesson AR-15 Sport rifles on May 4th, said ATF Special Agent Thomas Ahern on Tuesday.

“This happens from time to time, where these train cars are burglarized,” he said. “These train cars could have had anything on them that ships by rail, from shoes to computers, but the thieves just happened to hit on a shipment of guns.”

The 13 weapons were among 50 rifles being shipped from Smith & Wesson on the East Coast to a federally licensed gun dealer in Minneapolis through Chicago, said ATF Special Agent Thomas Ahern.

Thieves allegedly, broke into a container in a freight train car operated by Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. that was parked at a rail yard at 61st and Lafayette in the Englewood neighborhood.

Ahern said the investigation is ongoing on Tuesday. The weapons are described as big, heavy, bulky items, not easily unloadable. According to the ATF agent, they did not get the entire 50 guns, but one gun is too many in the arms of the wrong person,” Ahern said.

The ATF is working with the Chicago Police Department and Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. police on the investigation.

No arrests have been made, nor have suspects been identified.

“Right now, we are conducting interviews, and trying to pull in our sources to see if anyone has any information as to the whereabouts of those guns. Considering all of the violent crimes and gun crimes in the Englewood area, we’re anxious to recover them, and hopefully, we will,” Ahern said.

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