National Archery and Outdoors near Elimsport. GOOGLE EARTH PHOTO

For at least the third time this month, a business that sells guns in Lycoming County was targeted by criminals who, during the early morning hours on Saturday, arrived in a stolen SUV, smashed a display case, quickly grabbed a bunch of firearms and fled in the vehicle, which was found abandoned hours later in Williamsport, state police confirmed.

The latest business to be hit was the National Archery and Outdoors outlet at 14325 Route 44 in Washington Township, about two miles northwest of Elimsport, police said. The burglary occurred about 3:50 a.m., police added.

Investigators believe the burglars first stole the SUV, a 2025 Kia Telluride. from the 700 block of Glenwood Avenue in Williamsport, drove it to the business, broke in and then fled with several guns. That seems to be the motif operadi – the method – of committing these break-ins, police said. On October 5, thieves stole a Hyundai Elantra from downtown Williamsport, drove it to Operation Freedom Firearms on Angletown Road in Muncy Creek Township, and tried to break into the business by ramming the back of the car into the building, police said. The business was damaged, but no entry was made, according to the owner, Matt Hiller. Surveillance video at his store showed five people in the car. The driver headed back to Williamsport, where all the occupants bailed out and fled after the car struck a home at Washington Boulevard and Grove Street while the driver was being pursued by state police.

The next morning, Oct. 6, burglars broke into John Dewald’s gun shop, the Northeast Trade Company, at 1980 John Brady Drive, less than two miles from Operation Freedom, and stole an undisclosed number of firearms, police said.

At National Archery, it appeared that in order to get into the property, the burglars broke a window at the front of the store with a rock and/or golf club, police said. Two golf clubs, which investigators suspect the thieves brought with them, were recovered at the scene. It was believed that the intruders used one of the clubs to smash a display case containing several firearms, police said. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video recorded at the business, police added.

The stolen SUV the burglars used to drive to National Archery was found abandoned sometime Saturday in the 700 block of Clark Street in the city’s Newberry neighborhood, police said. The vehicle has since been impounded and processed. Sometime Saturday – after the car was located – members of the state police Special Emergency Response Team raided at least two properties on Clark Street, looking for suspects involved in the latest break-in. No arrests have been made in any of the three cases, police said.