School burglars in Collier County make off with guns

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and a stole gun that was locked in a safe.

The incident occurred early Wednesday and on Friday, there was an extra deputy presence at the school.

According to deputies, three males and one female dressed in black and wearing face coverings burglarized the school shortly after 2 a.m.

Neighbors of the school and parents tell WINK News this news is “worrisome” and “scary.” One mother who has a child who goes to the school said when she saw a large law enforcement presence Wednesday morning, she decided not to send her child to school.

Another parent, Jennifer Doe, sending a text of concern that reads, “Of course it concerns me. I feel like CCPS drop the ball and not notifying parents and staff sooner. The fact that they were supposedly still sweeping the school when the kids got there is a concern as well.”

Another parent who chose to remain anonymous tells WINK News, “If these criminals have the audacity to break into a school, there’s no telling what they might be capable of.”

Other neighbors and parents say they aren’t concerned and that the Sheriff’s Office are doing their job and have conducted interviews with many neighbors.

Parents did receive a text or email from the school principle on Wednesday before school started. It reads: “Deputies responded to Golden Gate Middle School this morning to investigate a burglary that happened overnight.  This is an isolated incident.  The campus is secure, and classes are going on as scheduled.“

Outside the school, CCSO detectives recovered a pair of Dunk Low Retro Nike sneakers that appeared to be identical to a pair worn by one of the suspects in surveillance images.

After breaking into the school, the suspects breached the locked Youth Relations Deputy office and then used a cutting device to defeat the lock on the gun safe inside the office.

Detectives said the suspects stole a CCSO rifle, two magazines, ammunition from the safe and an unknown amount of cash and checks grabbed from other parts of the building.

The CCSO incident report states that there was no forced entry, which means it appears a first floor side door was left unlocked overnight. It’s unclear why or how the door was unlocked.

Deputies also note that this group is believed to be very familiar with the school campus, as they knew exactly where the safe with the gun was located.

Dr. David Thomas, a former police officer and Professor of Forensic Studies at FGCU said a school resource officer must have a rifle. He stated due to school shootings. The rifle is used to protect the students.

“It’s very necessary, and it also allows them to be able to deal with it at not at close range, but at a much further distance than you would be able to do,” Thomas said.

The vandals broke into a safe which is where the gun was. That rifle belongs to the school resource officer, who is responsible for making sure that gun is secured. We don’t know what type of safe or how easy or hard it was to break.

“It’s in a safe but it’s not protected 24 hours a day, seven days a week the safe is great for storage. When the officer or deputy is there, when the day is done, they should go home with that, with that individual,” Thomas said.

Thomas has an idea of who the suspects are. “They either go to the school, or they have gone to the school. Or one of them has has intimate knowledge of the school, because he goes to that school, so they have that knowledge of where things are and how you know and how to locate those things.”

Two days after the break-in, everything is back to normal at Golden Gate Middle School as students were seen playing outside.

Neither the school district nor the sheriff’s office would answer any questions about protocols on campus. They said they don’t discuss matters related to school security.

The investigation remains ongoing.

WINK News reached out to the district, sheriff’s office and school board members asking for more information.

If you have any information on this burglary, contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477. You can also submit tips online or on the P3 Tips mobile app. Remember, you can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.