Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a gun store burglary in Springfield, Virginia, while a third suspect remains at large, authorities said Monday.
Fairfax County police responded to a burglary alarm around 1:21 a.m. at Dominion Defense, located at 7200 Fullerton Rd. on Monday morning. Officers arrived to find the store’s front entrance severely damaged and multiple firearms stolen.
According to Fairfax County police, the suspects used a stolen Toyota Tundra to ram the storefront before stealing firearms and fleeing the scene. They later switched vehicles to a stolen Hyundai Tucson before fleeing across the American Legion Bridge into Maryland.
“It seems like the key to being a thief in 2025 is utter brazenness,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.
Authorities said the two arrested suspects, both 16 years old, were caught in Gaithersburg, Maryland, thanks to swift interagency cooperation between Fairfax County police, Montgomery County police, the Gaithersburg Police Department and the ATF Washington Field Division. The Fairfax 1 helicopter played a crucial role in tracking the suspects after they fled into Maryland.
“Twenty-one firearms hit the streets last night — two long guns and 19 handguns, most of the handguns were semiautomatic pistols,” Davis said. “If not for our collective efforts, those 21 firearms would be in the greater national capital region right now.”
Police recovered 13 of the stolen firearms, but eight remain missing.
“We’re still searching for eight missing firearms. We’re still working to identify that third individual,” said Capt. James Curry of the Criminal Investigations Division.
Since the suspects were arrested in Maryland, they will be charged as adults with illegal possession of forearms, in addition to stolen vehicle charges. Additional charges in Virginia related to the burglary and theft of the 21 firearms are expected.
“This is never a good idea,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “When these firearms are stolen, they’re not to be taken to the range. These firearms are stolen because they’re going to be used in criminal incidents. They’re going to be used to harm people in our local communities.”
Authorities also said Dominion Defense has been targeted multiple times, with past incidents in April 2023, July 2024, September 2024 and December 2024.
Video posted online by the department shows the three boys ramming the pickup truck into the front of the store and then breaking glass casings to steal the weapons and ammunition inside.
“We encourage our entire community, residential and commercial, to connect Fairfax County and either register or integrate your camera with the police department. It’s so important,” he said.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said anyone with information about the outstanding suspect or missing firearms should contact the Fairfax County Police Department or Crime Solvers for anonymous reporting.
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