KENTWOOD, Mich. — Kentwood gun store owner Eric Haddad just recently installed shatterproof glass to provide one more obstacle for potential thieves to face.
Mr. Gun Dealer has not been the target of a break-in, and Haddad said he'd like to keep it that way by keeping his security up to par.
In recent years, break-ins at a number of West Michigan's gun stores have followed a similar pattern: thieves break through the glass and grab as many weapons as they can in the shortest amount of time. Haddad has installed everything from concrete pillars outside his store to a steel gate behind the front windows and door.
"I think all gun stores out there should take measures similar to this to protect this stuff," Haddad said Tuesday. "You know, we aren't selling candy bars here. We are selling high powered weapons that we don't want in the wrong hands."
Haddad's sentiment is shared by Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young.
"If you're in possession of a large number of weapons through legal mechanisms, you have to secure these weapons," LaJoye-Young said. "It has to be your paramount interest to make sure if somebody were to gain access to that facility, they're not going to gain access to those weapons."
This comes after four gun store break-ins within the last few weeks.
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