On the south side of Chicago, in one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, brazen criminals occasionally hit the gangster’s jackpot: they loot freight containers carrying shiny, new guns.
(FOX)- The guns – boxes and boxes of them – are part of shipments that are destined for gun companies or gun shops across the country. But as gangsters have caught on to the practice, they are ransacking these trains and stealing weapons that eventually make their way to the city’s blood-soaked streets.
“Any time you have individuals who can go in and steal guns from a train, that makes the environment very toxic,” said Pastor Cory Brooks, who leads a church around the corner from the freight yard.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that since 2013, more than 150 firearms have been reported stolen from freight trains. An Associated Press investigation revealed that some were traced to violent crimes and only 16 were recovered.
In one instance, thieves stole more than 100 new Ruger handguns described as “pretty” in comparison to the shoddy, makeshift guns criminals in Chicago’s rough streets often use.
Norfolk Southern told Fox News that it’s fully liable for any stolen property. The company said it takes the issue seriously, working with all law levels of law enforcement and recently increasing security around its tracks.