TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — People with criminal records shouldn’t be able to legally purchase guns, but there’s a market for stolen and illegal weapons in the Tampa area, and they may be able to get them without issue.
The Ybor City shooting last October is an example of the harm and tragedy that can be caused when stolen firearms end up in the wrong hands.
Brucie Boonstoppel lost her son Harrison, 20, in the shooting. He was one of the victims caught in the Ybor City crossfire that involved at least one stolen gun.
She recalled a case of theft in which a weapon was left in the car, which she had heard about from a friend.
“They didn’t break into the car. They left it unlocked,” Boonstoppel said. “And they know exactly where to look for guns. This is a big problem and people need to step up. It’s too easy.”
Police told 8 On Your Side that many firearms are stolen during so-called “car hopping.”
This involves thieves moving from vehicle to vehicle, targeting unlocked doors, said Lt. Eric DeFelice of the Tampa Police Department.
“You’d be surprised how many electronic devices and valuables are left out in plain view,” DeFelice said. “And the areas where guns are usually kept, the glove box or center console, are opened and disorganized by someone who is targeting the gun.”
8 On Your Side’s records requests show that through early November, 380 guns had been stolen in Hillsborough County, 327 in Tampa, 176 in Pinellas County and 208 in St. Petersburg. It became clear.
The total, which includes data from three other law enforcement agencies, shows 1,515 guns were stolen across the Tampa Bay area last year through early November, for an average of 151 guns a month.
The same government agency reported 1,865 thefts in each region in 2021. As a result, there was a slight increase in thefts by 155 thefts per month.
The total number of stolen guns is much higher than the number of reported incidents, indicating that many individual incidents involve the theft of multiple firearms.
St. Petersburg police have broken down the case down to the location where the theft took place. Data from the past three years shows that the number of firearms stolen from vehicles was more than twice that of homes and other businesses.
DeFelice also noted that guns stolen from unlocked vehicles are prevalent in Tampa.
Boonstoppel said tragedies like the Ybor shooting serve as a stark reminder for gun owners to take precautions to ensure their weapons aren’t easily stolen. It’s supposed to be.
“Perhaps if they were more aware that this is a problem, they would be more cautious,” Boonstoppel says. “I don’t think they think anything about it. But who wants people with guns trying to cause harm?”
