SAN ANTONIO — A machine gun is reported stolen from a gun range in east Bexar County. The theft happened two days ago at LoneStar Handgun, according to the owner.
Multiple surveillance videos shared with KENS 5 capture a woman walking into the retail shop, renting the gun and leaving the property with the firearm on Friday afternoon.
The range owner said she arrived just after 2 p.m. and vocalized interest in purchasing a gun but wanted to test out some firearms first. The woman filled out a liability form and was rented out a handgun.
"She went out on the range, shot it, came back in with the handgun and said, 'I think I want to try out the machine gun,'" said Josh Felker, founder and president of LoneStar Handgun.
Felker said she rented a MP5 Sub Machine Gun, a powerful 9 millimeter gun capable of firing 900 rounds per minute. After customers rent out firearms, they are supposed to go the range next door to have a trigger lock removed and the gun loaded by staff before shooting.
However, one surveillance video caught the alleged thief carrying the machine gun out to the parking lot and into a white truck. She leaves moments later. Felker said Friday was busy for business and admitted it was at least a couple of hours before staff realized what happened.
The staff member who also rented out the firearm didn't follow the policy in place to prevent theft's like this from occurring. Felker said the employee accepted cash from the woman instead of a credit card for the transaction. Staff also later realized the I.D. card, which is kept in exchange for a rental, did not belong to the woman and wrote fake information on the liability form.
"In [the employee's] defense, his mother died earlier this past week. And so he was at work not because he had to be at work, but because he wanted to be at work. And just so his mind was at other places. It's not excusable, but that happens," said Felker.
Felker said the range is currently revising their policies even though it may change up the experience for those who follow the rules.
"We're looking into probably everyone that rents a machine gun at the minimum will have to be escorted on the range, which will tie up more range staff, which will increase the cost, which will also take away from their ability to supervise the others in line but nobody wants firearms stolen, especially machine guns," said Felker.
Felker reported what happened to the ATF and Bexar County Sheriff's Office. We reached out to BCSO and have not heard back at time of writing.
For now, Felker is asking anyone with information to help.
"We're just hoping that we get the firearm back and that no one gets hurt with that firearm," he said.
Felker said the gun was unloaded and had a trigger lock at the time it was taken.
