One person is dead and a police manhunt continued Thursday morning for four men who police say used a stolen car to smash into a Rockville gun shop and make off with firearms under cover of darkness.
At about 2:30 a.m., the five drove a vehicle into the front of United Gun Shop at 5465 Randolph Road, obtained an undisclosed number of firearms and fled in a different vehicle, a white SUV, striking a police cruiser about a half-mile away, according to police.
The officer in the cruiser was not injured and opened fire. After a brief chase, the vehicle became disabled and four of the suspects ran. The fifth suspect was found dead in the vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound, according to police.
Both vehicles had been stolen, authorities said.
Residents around the crime scenes, east of Route 355, were urged to remain vigilant as police began a dragnet.
Several guns were found outside the SUV and a bag containing additional firearms was found in the yard of a nearby home.
The officer who fired the shots has been placed on administrative leave, following department policy, according to police.
United Gun Shop, in a row of older brick small industrial shops, has had at least one other burglary. In 2017, several guns were stolen, and police said they investigated an attempted robbery at the store in February.
Staff writer Charlie Wright contributed to this report
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
