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Missing gun dealer alarms town
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Missing gun dealer alarms town
Richmond looks at new store rules
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By Carolyn Starks
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 21, 2002
The disappearance of a Richmond gun shop owner has led the village to institute a safety and security review of how gun stores can operate.
Robert H. Steckroth, 48, has been missing since at least early May, when he was believed to be attending a gun show in Tennessee. Since then his home-based store has been unattended. Family members have filed a missing persons report, but police are stymied.
"There is no indication of foul play, at least not at this point," Police Chief Roger Szewczyk said.
Concern over the unattended shop led the Village Board to vote unanimously Wednesday to scrutinize businesses wishing to sell or repair firearms.
"You have thousands of rounds of ammunition on the premises that were not being kept in a controlled environment," Village President Kevin Brusek said. "We're not looking to stop the sale of guns. We're looking to make sure they are regulated."
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents removed the guns and ammunition from Steckroth's store last week. The business effectively was shut down, and if Steckroth were to return, he would not be allowed to reopen the shop, at least not in his home, Brusek said.
For 15 years Steckroth operated Armtech International Inc. in a two-story white frame house near Richmond's downtown. He did repairs and sold guns. He lived upstairs alone.
Szewczyk became suspicious when customers began calling to complain that Steckroth was not returning phone calls and was not in the shop.
A note tacked to the door said he had gone to a gun show in Nashville on May 2 and would be back May 9. Szewczyk contacted the ATF and located a brother of Steckroth's in Iowa who went to Richmond and filed a missing person report June 8.
The family declined to comment Thursday.
Police checked Steckroth's house, the first floor of which was filled with ammunition and weapons in locked cases and racks. Steckroth's belongings were on the second floor.
Tim Shryock left three antique pistols at the gun shop to be cleaned and appraised in February 2000. He started calling about them months ago. "I haven't been able to get a hold of him for half a year," Shryock said. "Finally I went over there, and there were notes all over his door from people who wanted their guns back."
News that a house loaded with weapons and ammunition had been left unattended for weeks made village officials shudder, Brusek said. So on Wednesday, the Village Board voted to require anyone wishing to open a firearms business to make a presentation before the board and get a conditional-use permit.
"This means we can nix it or put restrictions on it, such as: You can only have so many firearms, so many rounds of ammunition; you have to have a burglar alarm system, a fire alarm system," Brusek said.
There are no other gun shops in town, but officials stand behind their decision.
Copyright c 2002, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-0206210007jun21.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthwest-hed
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Richmond looks at new store rules
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly format
Search archives
By Carolyn Starks
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 21, 2002
The disappearance of a Richmond gun shop owner has led the village to institute a safety and security review of how gun stores can operate.
Robert H. Steckroth, 48, has been missing since at least early May, when he was believed to be attending a gun show in Tennessee. Since then his home-based store has been unattended. Family members have filed a missing persons report, but police are stymied.
"There is no indication of foul play, at least not at this point," Police Chief Roger Szewczyk said.
Concern over the unattended shop led the Village Board to vote unanimously Wednesday to scrutinize businesses wishing to sell or repair firearms.
"You have thousands of rounds of ammunition on the premises that were not being kept in a controlled environment," Village President Kevin Brusek said. "We're not looking to stop the sale of guns. We're looking to make sure they are regulated."
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents removed the guns and ammunition from Steckroth's store last week. The business effectively was shut down, and if Steckroth were to return, he would not be allowed to reopen the shop, at least not in his home, Brusek said.
For 15 years Steckroth operated Armtech International Inc. in a two-story white frame house near Richmond's downtown. He did repairs and sold guns. He lived upstairs alone.
Szewczyk became suspicious when customers began calling to complain that Steckroth was not returning phone calls and was not in the shop.
A note tacked to the door said he had gone to a gun show in Nashville on May 2 and would be back May 9. Szewczyk contacted the ATF and located a brother of Steckroth's in Iowa who went to Richmond and filed a missing person report June 8.
The family declined to comment Thursday.
Police checked Steckroth's house, the first floor of which was filled with ammunition and weapons in locked cases and racks. Steckroth's belongings were on the second floor.
Tim Shryock left three antique pistols at the gun shop to be cleaned and appraised in February 2000. He started calling about them months ago. "I haven't been able to get a hold of him for half a year," Shryock said. "Finally I went over there, and there were notes all over his door from people who wanted their guns back."
News that a house loaded with weapons and ammunition had been left unattended for weeks made village officials shudder, Brusek said. So on Wednesday, the Village Board voted to require anyone wishing to open a firearms business to make a presentation before the board and get a conditional-use permit.
"This means we can nix it or put restrictions on it, such as: You can only have so many firearms, so many rounds of ammunition; you have to have a burglar alarm system, a fire alarm system," Brusek said.
There are no other gun shops in town, but officials stand behind their decision.
Copyright c 2002, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-0206210007jun21.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthwest-hed
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878