Arlington County police responded to a break-in at Nova Armory early this morning.
The Metro-accessible gun store at 2607 Wilson Blvd had its front door “smashed in” by a suspect, setting off a loud alarm. The suspect reportedly took items but not any guns — the retailer takes weapons off shelves and stores them securely at night.
“At approximately 1:48 a.m. on August 22, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just occurred,” said today’s ACPD crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect forced entry into the business by smashing a glass door. The suspect then rummaged through the interior of the store before fleeing the scene with stolen items.”
“No firearms were reported stolen,” an Arlington police spokesperson told ARLnow.
Officers searched the area for the suspect but could not locate him. Police were called to the store later today to retrieve video surveillance footage.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation and our detectives are reviewing all the information available to them to identify the suspect in this case,” said the ACPD spokesperson. “We encourage anyone who may have information regarding the incident to contact police.”
Nova Armory was previously burglarized at its former Lyon Park location. In 2022, after moving to Clarendon earlier in the year, a Nova Armory employee chased down an alleged thief who tried to run off with a gun. In March of this year a ski mask-wearing man robbed the store of a gun and ammunition but was arrested on a bus soon thereafter, according to police.
@ARLnowDOTcom robbery in nova armory in Arlington again for the third time 🥶 pic.twitter.com/wR5R9cjsoA
— Guilver (@KeepITahando) August 22, 2023