Reward offered for gun theft in May

KELLOGG — A reward is being offered for information about a May robbery that resulted in the recovery of a handgun near Kellogg High School.

The robbery occurred on May 16 at the Downtown Gun and Pawn in Missoula, when a man entered the pawn shop and asked to see a firearm that was for sale. Once the handgun was in his possession, the suspect left the store with the firearm and fled in a dark gray or silver Lexus with unknown out-of-state license plates.

The gun was found May 20 by a KHS teacher, who discovered it in a box while her class was picking up trash along Jackass Creek. The teacher turned the firearm over to the school resource officer, police said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Denver Field Division, in cooperation with the Missoula Police Department and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association, is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those involved.

After the gun was found, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office tracked the robbery and searched the school to ensure there was no threat to students.

Anyone with information about this theft should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Tips can also be submitted to [email protected] or through the ATF website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips. Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit app or by visiting www.reportit.com.