SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Police estimate about 50 guns are stolen from unlocked vehicles in Sioux Falls every year.
A .45 caliber handgun stolen in 2013 recently popped up in Chicago.
Officer Sam Clemens says the gun was used September 3rd in a drive-by shooting. According to Chicago police, the victim was standing at an intersection with friends when a car pulled-up and stopped. The driver shot the victim in the hand.
Later that month, Chicago authorities found the weapon and determined it was used in the shooting.
The gun's serial number was entered into the national data base and Chicago Police traced it back to Sioux Falls.
Clemens says the story is a good illustration of why people should lock their vehicles especially if there is a firearm inside. He says once the gun is stolen it can go through several hands and can be used all along the way in criminal activities.
Clemens couldn't say how Chicago police found the weapon or how they determined it was the gun used in the shooting.
