The burglars weren't able to get into the business and appeared to have only taken guns close to the broken front window. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKEPORT – A Lakeport gun shop was the victim of a late night burglary that was discovered early Wednesday morning.

Burglars hit Lake County Guns, located at 422 S. Main St., according to shop co-owner Clifton Rakic.

Among the items taken from the shop were a number of .22-caliber rifles, said Rakic.

Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department confirmed late Wednesday that the firearms were stolen from the shop and that police had taken a report on the case.

At 2:43 p.m. Wednesday police and sheriff's office dispatchers issued a countywide officer safety “be on the lookout” for four .22 caliber rifles taken from the gun shop.

When interviewed by Lake County News at 3:30 p.m., Rakic had not yet concluded a complete inventory of stolen items.

However, he acknowledged that at least two and as many as four rifles that had been on display near the broken front window were indeed missing. There was no mention of any missing ammunition.

Rakic approximated the retail value of each weapon to be around $100.

The person or persons responsible had disabled the alarm system by shutting off the electric power before smashing the left front window with a rock, which Lakeport Police collected as evidence, said Rakic.

The storefront's heavy glass is backed by thick steel bars, spaced just inches apart. The perpetrators were unable to gain full access to the shop and were only able to grab those weapons within two or three feet of the broken shards, according to this reporter's observations.

Rakic said this is the first major problem he has had since the store opened a year and a half ago.

E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A one-and-a-half-foot diameter hole where thieves reached in to steal guns. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

The exterior of Lake County Guns, which remains open for business after its co-owner discovered on Wednesday morning that it had been burglarized. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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