TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Anyone with a criminal record is not supposed to be able to buy a gun legally but there’s a market of illegal weapons in the Tampa area that were stolen and could be available without question.
The Ybor City mass shooting last October is an example of the damage and tragedy that can be caused when a stolen firearm gets into the grip of the wrong person.
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 an incident she heard from a friend about theft involving a weapon left in a car.
“They weren’t breaking in the car. They left it unlocked,” Boonstoppel said. “And they know exactly where to look for the guns. This is a big problem and people need to step it up. It’s too easy.”
Police told 8 On Your Side many firearms are taken during what is known as “car hopping.”
According to Tampa Police Department Major Eric DeFelice, that involves thieves going from vehicle to vehicle, targeting unlocked doors.
“You’d be surprised that electronics or valuables will be left in plain view,” DeFelice said. “And the areas where guns are usually stored, the glove compartment or the center console are opened and disheveled by somebody who targeted a gun.”
An 8 On Your Side records request revealed through the start of November, there were 380 guns stolen in Hillsborough County, 327 stolen in Tampa, 176 in Pinellas County and 208 in St. Petersburg.
The total, including data from three other law enforcement agencies, was 1,515 stolen guns last year through the beginning of November across the Tampa Bay area, for an average of 151 a month.
The same agencies reported 1,865 were stolen in their areas in 2021. That resulted in a slightly higher average of 155 stolen a month.
The total number of guns stolen was much higher than the reported number of incidents, indicating many individual cases involved the theft of multiple firearms.
St. Petersburg police broke the cases down into where the thefts took place. Data from the last three years showed more than twice as many firearms were stolen from vehicles than homes and other businesses.
DeFelice also indicated guns stolen from unlocked vehicles was prevalent in Tampa.
Tragedies like the Ybor mass shooting should be a stark reminder for gun owners to take the precautions to make sure their weapons are not easy to steal, according to Boonstoppel.
“Maybe if they’re more aware that this is a problem, they will be more careful,” Boonstoppel said. “I’m sure they don’t think about it. But who wants people with guns who are going to do harm.”
