Police locate flatbed truck used to steal undisclosed number of firearms from New Castle-area gun shop

Esteban Parra and Isabel Hughes, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·3 min read

An undisclosed number of firearms were stolen from a New Castle-area gun shop early Monday morning after thieves backed a flatbed truck into the store, police said.

The truck was recovered near the shop Tuesday morning.

According to New Castle County Police, a security alarm sent officers to Miller's Gun Center, located at 97 W. Jackson Ave. − off Route 13 − about 1:50 a.m. on Memorial Day.

As police made their way to the gun shop, 911 operators received a call that a flatbed truck had backed into the business' front door, police said.

A flatbed truck used in a break-in at a New-Castle area gun store on Memorial Day sits in a parking lot near the firearms store.
A flatbed truck used in a break-in at a New-Castle area gun store on Memorial Day sits in a parking lot near the firearms store.

Arriving officers found the store had been broken into and several firearms had been taken. The flatbed truck was gone from the area, though police found it across from the gun store in the parking lot of Dryclean Central about 7:30 a.m Tuesday.

Detectives with New Castle County Police's criminal investigations unit, along with investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating the break-in. Police could still be seen in the area Tuesday morning.

Crime scene tape blocked off the parking lot of the dry cleaning store and several marked and unmarked patrol vehicles were parked near the flatbed truck. County police confirmed it was the same vehicle used in the theft, saying it had been reported stolen from the Brandywine Hundred area about an hour before the burglary.

A tow truck loads up a vehicle that police say was used in a break-in at a Miller's Gun Center on Memorial Day.
A tow truck loads up a vehicle that police say was used in a break-in at a Miller's Gun Center on Memorial Day.

By 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, a tow truck had loaded the vehicle to be taken for evidence processing.

Damage could also be seen to the Route 13 entrance to Miller's Gun Center. The original door was gone Tuesday morning and was replaced by a board and a white door.

Police and federal agents are still investigating how many firearms were taken and what types.

A thief damaged an entrance to Miller's Gun Center when they used a flatbed truck to break into the New Castle-area gun shop early Monday (May 27, 2024).
A thief damaged an entrance to Miller's Gun Center when they used a flatbed truck to break into the New Castle-area gun shop early Monday (May 27, 2024).

Miller's has long history in Delaware

Miller's Gun Center is one of the state's best-known gun shops as it's been in operation for about 65 years.

Opened in 1959 by John Miller Sr., the store is now run by his son, Bob Miller. Bob Miller helped craft Delaware's state law requiring criminal background checks prior to purchasing a firearm, according to Delaware Online/The News Journal archives.

While federal law requires criminal background checks for all firearm sales and transfers by federally licensed dealers, it does not require background checks for sales or transfers by unlicensed sellers. Delaware in 1991 became the second state to require the checks.

It's unclear when the ATF's last inspection of the store was, as the agency has not yet responded to a Freedom of Information Act request for that data. A report from a 2017 inspection, the latest data publicly available, shows the gun shop was found to be "in compliance with both the Youth Handgun Act (poster and notice) and secure gun storage/safety devices."

Miller's Gun Center near New Castle
Miller's Gun Center near New Castle

During that inspection, ATF officers cited the center for eight violations, the majority of which related to errors on Form 4473, or the firearms transaction record that all purchasers and federal firearms licensees (FFLs) must complete prior to a gun sale or transfer.

At the time, Bob Miller told investigators that some of the errors were the result of a new employee "who needed to be better trained prior to being able to work independently." He also said a few of the errors "were due to human error and being unfamiliar with the new ATF (Form) 4473," which was updated in 2016.

All violations were corrected "immediately," records show. The last inspection prior to 2017 was in 2015, when no violations were found.

Under federal regulations, the ATF can only perform compliance inspections of federal firearms licensees once every 12 months. There is also no requirement that they be inspected.

Anyone with information about Monday's theft is asked to contact New Castle County Police Detective Dakota Diksa at dakota.diksa@newcastlede.gov or call (302) 395-8030.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Flatbed truck used to steal multiple guns from Miller's Gun Center