Former Cop's Gun Stolen Twice Before It Was Used To Shoot 3 Officers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three Chicago police officers were shot in March by a man armed with a gun that has been traced to a former cop. Now we're learning how that gun fell into the wrong hands.
An investigation led authorities on a hunt to trace how the gun got to the shooter.
Since the shooting in March, police have been trying to figure out how a former officer's gun ended up in the hands of a convicted felon. Now, investigators say the gun was stolen from the officer's home, and then stolen again before ending up in the hands of the shooter.
On March 14 in the Homan Square neighborhood, three police officers were trying to arrest a drug suspect when 29-year-old Lamar Harris allegedly ran off and fired his gun, hitting all three officers.
Investigators later learned the gun Harris used belonged to a former Chicago cop. But how did Harris get it?
The first theft was traced to 20-year-old Andre Cummings. Authorities said Cummings was a cable television employee doing work at a home in the suburbs, and stole the officer's gun from that house.
"This wasn't a crime where his house was target... It was more of a crime of opportunity," said CBS 2 security consultant Ross Rice, a former FBI agent.
The second theft happened three months later, when someone allegedly broke into Cummings' truck and stole the .40-caliber Glock 22.
"Whether that gun was stolen from him or not, that's what he's alleging. I think police are going to have to investigate further. Does he have connection to the person who shot the officers?" Rice said. "Whether you're a police officer or private citizen, make sure the gun is safe and secure."
Investigators said, after the second theft, they don't know how the gun ended up in Harris' possession.
Cummings has been charged with residential burglary and possession of a stolen firearm. His bond has been set at $75,000.
