KRDO exclusive video: Gun store security system scares off four individuals shortly before another break-in

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A group of robbers rammed a stolen car through the window of the Spartan Defense gun store early Thursday morning, stealing weapons and causing extensive property damage, according to the store owner and employees.

"There's frustration because we were in the process of updating our security in the first place, making it more of a hard target," said store owner Ted Collins. "It's a frustration because it seems like no matter what we can do, it's hard to stop a car traveling at 30 miles per hour or however fast it's going through your store."

Employees said the thieves took AK-style rifles and 9mm handguns, leaving about a dozen gun racks on the wall empty after the burglary.

The crime at Spartan Defense on Barnes was one of three gun store incidents Thursday morning between 2 a.m and 4 a.m.

A CSPD spokesperson confirmed the same group rammed the front doors of another gun store, DCF, shortly before the burglary at Spartan Defense but couldn't get through the steel reinforced doors.

Within the same time frame, the security system at a third gun store in Fountain scared away four individuals wearing all black.

One member of the group could be heard saying "there aren't any guns here" in the surveillance video captured outside.

The store owner said he had his guns locked up and out of sight.

CSPD has not confirmed whether the Fountain event is connected to the other two.

Collins didn't get so lucky, and now, he's dealing with the aftermath.

“I’ve got to pay a large deductible in the first place. Our rates are going to go up. It affects us as a business and God, how long is it going to take to get reimbursed by the insurance? I have to float the cost in the meantime," Collins said.

Collins had multiple two-thousand pound boulders in front of his shop, and was in the process of installing steel barriers to prevent car smash-and-grab robberies when his store was hit Thursday. He said the group was able to move one of the boulders out of the way before ramming through.

The trio of events early Thursday comes just one week after Spruce Defense and SDS guns got hit using the same car-ramming technique. CSPD said with the two most recent incidents, the department has responded to nearly 30 smash-and-grab crimes this year.

“We need stricter enforcement of these kinds of horrible actions that these people are taking, and we need to put them behind bars. They need to be locked up," Collins said.

Collins said the damage to his store greatly outweighs the damage in lost merchandise. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is working to recover the guns.

Late Thursday afternoon, 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen and Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez released a joint statement in response to the recent string of burglaries.

“My office and our local law enforcement partners are taking a zero-tolerance policy towards
smash-and-grab crimes targeting businesses in our community, particularly as related to stealing
firearms,” District Attorney Michael Allen said.