A burglary at a pawn shop in Baton Rouge is believed to be part of a larger conspiracy to attack police officers in the area, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.
Eight guns were stolen from the pawn shop Saturday before 2 p.m., police said. Of the four suspects who were involved in the burglary, three have been taken into custody. One suspect told police he was looking for bullets to harm police officers in the Baton Rouge Area, said Baton Rouge Police Chief Dabadie, Jr.
Police said they consider the threats credible.
Six of the firearms, which were all handguns, have been recovered. Police are asking that the fourth suspect, who is still at large, turn himself in. His identity is unknown.
One of the suspects involved in the burglary was a 13-year-old, police said. Another suspect who was apprehended was holding a firearm and BB gun, Dabadie said.
The owner of the pawn shop told police it doesn’t appear that any ammunition was taken from the pawn shop.
Several law enforcement agencies are investigating the threat, including Louisiana State Police, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.
Police said they increased their presence in the city following the shooting death of Alton Sterling last week due to the “very real and viable threats to law enforcement” in the area. The aggressive police response, which showed police in riot gear clearing crowds, was also due in part to the information obtained after the burglary, said East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gatreaux.
The investigation is ongoing.