A source familiar with the investigation told The Tennessee Star that the five teenage suspects arrested in connection to a January 20 attempted break-in at a gun and ammunition store in Franklin, Tennessee are Honduran nationals who were in the United States illegally at the time of their arrest, and that they are scheduled to be deported by federal immigration authorities.
According to WSMV 4, the suspects ranged in age from 13 to 15, and were apprehended after a pursuit that involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
The teens allegedly drove a vehicle into the gun store, with the outlet publishing security camera footage from the gun store that showed multiple suspects approach the store front, only to learn they were unsuccessful at ramming the door before leaving after apparently discovering their attempt was unsuccessful.
Arms and Ammo confirmed the attempt occurred at about 4 a.m., and that the would-be thieves were unsuccessful, in a post to social media.
The Franklin Police Department (FPD) told The Star it was unable to provide identifying information about the suspects, or confirm their citizenship status, but said the teens resided in Nashville prior to their arrest.
Neither the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office nor the Williamson County District Attorney’s office replied to inquiries seeking confirmation of the teens’ citizenship, or that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requested immigration detainers to transfer the arrestees to federal custody. The sheriff’s office also did not confirm whether the teens remain in the custody of law enforcement.
As FPD said that the suspects resided in Nashville, The Star additionally contacted the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DSCO) to determine whether it held citizenship information about the teens. It also told The Star booking photos could not be shared because the suspects are minor.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to a request seeking confirmation they requested immigration detainers on the teens, nor that they are Honduran nationals who were in the country illegally.
According to a report recently published by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TDAGC), a total of 92 illegal immigrants were arrested or convicted in Williamson County during the last three months of 2024, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the arrests in the county.
More than 2,700 illegal immigrants were convicted or arrested throughout Tennessee over the same period of time.
The break-in attempt shared similarities with a series of California burglaries where the thieves used stolen vehicles to ram the storefronts. Six men were charged with federal crimes for the smash and grabs last year.
Watch a news clip containing security footage from the attempted break-in:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Arms and Ammo Attempted Robbery” by Arms and Ammo.
I can still remember being back in the apartments, in Clinton, MS, before I moved up here, when the little Hispanic Kid tried to kick my door in, after I saw him eyeing my $1000 mountain Bike on the back porch. My young son was at home with me at the time. After I chased the kid down in the complex, I told his mother ‘that was a good way for him to get killed.’
I believe, based upon NC5 reporting, that the fatality victim (and possibly the other victim) in the Antioch HS shooting was in the country illegally with her family. Can anyone confirm this?