Police: Teens assault innocent people, ram stolen cars into gun store during 4-hour crime spree

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Teen suspects accused of driving two stolen cars into a north Charlotte gun store during an attempted robbery Monday night are connected to a larger crime spree across the city, a police source told Channel 9.

Chris Lawhorne, the owner of Watchdog Tactical on Old Statesville Road, said he believes a group of teens were trying to steal guns. The police source told reporter Glenn Counts that officers are searching for teenagers.

Lawhorne said the suspects didn’t get away with anything since the store keeps its guns locked up in safes.

“Once they got in, they quickly realized we don’t have any guns out,” he said.

Surveillance photos captured hours before the crime, which Lawhorne believes showed the people involved casing his store.

“Yeah, they were in our shop earlier in the day. Early yesterday. So we got them on camera, looking to purchase or doing whatever,” he said.

The front door was damaged and boarded up after the attempted robbery.

“To be honest, people like this who break into gun shops, they don’t do it because they want ammo or a holster. They go in because they want guns, and the only reason you want guns because you’re up to some nefarious stuff,” Lawhorne said.

Four-hour crime spree

There were carjackings, assaults and attempted robberies during Monday night’s four-hour crime spree, police said.

A 55-year-old truck driver, who did not want to be identified, said the suspects who looked like teens pistol-whipped him. He was left with a facial fracture, teeth that were knocked out and a black eye.

“He said, ‘Give me your keys. What you say? Give me your keys right now or I’m gonna shoot you,’ and he pointed at me with the gun,” the victim said.

He continued, “And when I turned my head to look, the driver of the car, he hit me with the gun in the face.”

Police said the crime spree started along Mallard Creek Church Road around 7:50 p.m. when the suspects carjacked a 23-year-old man.

From there, they went to Hunting Ridge Lane and carjacked a 37-year-old man.

The criminals assaulted the truck driver close to 10 p.m. outside a west Charlotte gas station.

Sometime after 11 p.m., they broke into Watchdog Tactical.

Lawhorne said he handed the surveillance video and pictures over to police to help with the investigation.

There have been two arrests in connection with the crimes.

This is an ongoing investigation. Return to this story for updates.

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