A bingo hall armed burglary left terror in it wake, as players head for online bingo!
The 165 Bingo Hall, located on U.S. 165 North in Monroe, Louisiana, was the subject of an armed burglary that took place a little after 1 AM on the first Saturday in July 2012. The robbery was a bloody mess, as shots were fired from the handguns of the thieves. One person, an employee of the bingo hall, was injured and rushed to the hospital. The victim was reported to be in stable condition. The masked criminals grabbed an unknown amount of cash before fleeing the bingo hall. Monroe police are now searching for the two robbers.
Armed Burglaries at Bingo Halls in the U.S.
In addition to the burglary at the Monroe bingo hall, several other armed robberies have recently occurred in diverse areas of America. Back in April 2012, two armed men traumatized bingo hall customers and fled with over $2,000 in cash from a local Kinston, North Carolina bingo hall. While no one was seriously hurt, a couple of people received scrapes and bruises as they fell trying to flee the gun-toting criminals. Police have no leads as to the identity of the thieves.
Three teenagers have confessed to the armed robbery of a local bingo hall in Palm Bay, Florida. That hold-up occurred in May of this year. Witness statements to the police confirmed that guns were used in the burglary. The robbers were identified by surveillance videos, which contained footage of the three teens casing the bingo hall without masks prior to the theft. A local bingo hall was robbed in Columbia, South Carolina, by six armed men wearing masks. In the early morning hours of May 12, 2012, the six men ran into the business establishment with drawn guns, loudly demanding money.
The customers and employees of the bingo hall dropped to the floor. Two of the thieves threw a copier on top of the business manager. The criminals stole cell phones, women’s purses, cash and the feeling of safety from customers and employees alike. The manager, Donnell Richardson, commented that the players and staff members are like family. That sense of comfort and security has now been severely damaged. The criminals remain at large.
Bingo Halls in the UK Hit by Armed Thieves
America is not the only country plagued with this type of thievery. In Belfast, Ireland, two men robbed a bingo hall on 28 June 2012. One of the two bandits was armed with a screw driver, and threatened a staff member. The thieves fled with an undisclosed amount of money. Also in the UK, this past February three masked men, two of whom were armed, entered a local Durham bingo club. They traumatized employees and customers, demanded that the safe be opened and stole a substantial amount of cash.
Weapons and masks appear to be common elements in the rash of bingo hall robberies. It has been suggested that surveillance cameras and a ban on hooded clothing worn by customers may help to turn the tide against this type of violent thievery. Many bingo hall customers have reacted to the criminal activity by turning to online bingo.
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