Thieves Steal Weapons from SWAT Training Site
Thieves broke into a secure SWAT training building and made away with dozens of high-powered weapons last Thursday, officials announced Monday.
The weapons were discovered missing by a police officer who arrived at the building at 9 a.m. on Thursday, the same day SWAT members were scheduled to train.
The thieves had to cut through a series of locked doors in the SWAT building on 14th and San Pedro streets, which is located about a mile away from SWAT headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles.
The thieves stole 21 MP-5 submachine guns and 12 large-caliber handguns. The stolen weapons had been altered to fire blanks, but police say they could be converted back to their original form and be used to fire real bullets.
The building does not have an alarm or surveillance system, but was still considered secure by the police.
"I guess 'secure' is all relative now. It's embarassing... It's a lesson learned," LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing told the Times.
The guns had been transported to the first floor of the building Wednesday night, and police have not ruled out the possibility that the theft might have been an inside job.
