INDIANAPOLIS — At least two rifles that were stolen from an Indianapolis gun shop have been recovered.
Earlier this month, three teenagers were arrested and charged in connection with a burglary at 500 Guns and an attempted burglary at Indy Arms Co.
According to IMPD, the teens stole nine guns and investigators have been working to recover them.
John Nokes, a special investigator with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said one of the weapons, an AR-15 rifle, was found in Lawrence. Another was found during a police investigation March 12.
Police were executing a search warrant in the 3300 block of East New York Street, near Lasalle Street, when they found a handgun that had been reported stolen out of Gary, an AR-15 that was reported stolen from 500 Guns, and cocaine and marijuana.
When police take guns off the street, they have a special database that they use to track it back to the owner. That's how they were able to determine an AR-15 was one of the guns stolen from the west side gun shop.
"We are going to trace it backwards,” said Nokes. “All the steps that have been taken from the time it left somewhere legally to where it ended up illegally."
They're able to do that through a gun tracing system. They enter the serial number, make and model of the gun. Then the system pulls up a rundown of the names of people who have legally owned it.
The information is also run through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. That tells investigators if that firearm has been used in another shooting or crime.
Just last year, ATF traced about 5,100 firearms in Indianapolis that were recovered by police officers to other crimes.