CUMMING - New Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman says Saturday's smash-and-grab robbery at Forsyth County Pawn Shop on Atlanta Road was a gang-related activity.
"We're working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on this case because we believe there is a distinct possibility this group is connected to many of the gun store burglaries or robberies that have occured in the metro (Atlanta) area and beyond," Freeman explained.
Saying he was limited in the information he could share, Freeman said, "But we do have enough information to be able to charge several of these individuals with violation of the Georgia Gang Act."
"Incidently, because of recent pawn shop burglaries that occured across the metro, the owners of that pawn shop had an employee who had slept overnight at the pawn shop," Freeman said.
"The employee who was there overnight when this truck drove through the wall...and seven individuals ran into the store...the employee fired a shot into the ceiling, and amazingly when that happened, these individuals kept stealing guns, they didn't even stop."
"There was no shoot-out...but he was able to give us an immediate lookout and had it not been for that I don't know if we could have been as timely in apprehending these folks."
Freeman commended the store employee for his help, and then commended the initial responding deputy for single-handedly capturing two of the suspects when they abandoned their vehicle in northern Fulton county.
"A pretty amazing feat when there is seven people running in different directions, and within a few hours we had six of the seven suspects in custody," Freeman said.
