Police: Meet-up to purchase gun ends in robbery

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) Police say a meet-up to purchase a gun ended in a robbery. The man posted his weapon for sale online and he thought he was meeting up with someone who was going to buy the gun. However, that buyer apparently had other plans.

Philadelphia police call the site the Craigslist for guns. Armslist.com is an online superstore for firearms where getting an semi-automatic is as easy as ordering a pizza. It's the website where a Delaware County man listed his AK-47 assault rifle for sale. for about 600 hundred bucks.

"He shows him the AK 47. A second male arrives obviously knows it's a set up robbery. Pulls out a gun and tells him to give him the weapon. Takes the weapon and takes off on foot," said Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker.

FOX 29 spoke with the 24-year-old victim from Delaware County over the phone.

"Just anger and confusion. I would've never expected this," he said.

The victim says he arrived Saturday afternoon to meet his customer named "Justin" at 54th and Berks to show him the gun. He did not know the meeting was a set up.

"Before I get around to open the rifle case he has a gun in his pocket and says get the (bleep) back in your car or I'm going to shoot you," the victim explained.

He tells FOX 29 he is an avid gun collector and has sold guns before. But says it's the first time he didn't meet a customer inside a gun shop as police suggest. Since it's not a handgun it is perfectly legal to privately sell rifles without any background checks in Pennsylvania. However, if that gun is used in a crime or sold to a felon the seller could be charged.

"Coming into an area you are not familiar with with a weapon like that is just not the wisest thing to do. Fortunately, the person didn't get injured but we're asking people who are using this site to just beware of your surroundings and do the right thing," said Lt. Walker.