WORCESTER, Mass., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he was "concerned" about the theft of weapons from a U.S. Army Reserve armory, which included six M4 assault rifles and 10 M11 pistols.
His statement came Monday, one day after officials discovered the firearms missing from the armory in Worcester, Mass.
The FBI confirmed weapons were taken sometime Saturday night, but previously did not specify the weapon type or amount missing. Officials launched an investigation and searched near the Lincoln W. Stoddard U.S. Army Reserve Center to look for evidence on Sunday.
"I'm especially concerned about it," Baker said Monday. "Separate and apart from anything that has to do with terrorism, I'm concerned about the fact that some really high-caliber weapons were stolen from a military facility in the first place."
Related
FBI agents investigated video they believe to be of the suspect. The suspect in the robbery may have taken about five hours to load the weapons into a vehicle, apparently a BMW, before escaping. The alarm system in the armory was disabled due to construction, a fact the suspect may have known, as was indicated by his calm demeanor during the hours-long robbery that started at about 6 p.m.
Officials said the suspect entered through the roof. He was described as a light-skinned, stocky-built man between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was wearing a white T-shirt and a dark-colored vest during the robbery.
FBI spokeswoman Kristen M. Setera said there is "no indication that these missing weapons are connected to any kind of terrorism threat whatsoever."
The FBI is working with Massachusetts State Police and Worcester Police to recover the missing weapons. Worcester Police assigned a police officer to coordinate with the FBI on a full-time basis.
"The Worcester Police Department will enhance regular patrols near key locations around the city," Worcester Police said in a statement. "Although there is no specific or credible threat to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at this time, Worcester police along with our law enforcement partners will maintain heightened awareness of any potential suspicious activity in the area."
