Federal Investigation Targets East Windsor Gun Shop

Riverview Sales in East Windsor, a gun store that has been at the center of several recent, highly controversial incidents over the past several years, is under investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

ATF Agent Debora Seifert confirmed that the store located at 4 Prospect Hill in East Windsor is subject to "an ongoing investigation" and was the target of a federal "enforcement activity" late Thursday afternoon.

Seifert said that she could not “speak to any of the particulars” of the investigation

On Thursday, East Windsor police confirmed that the store had sold a gun to Nancy Lanza, the mother of Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who police said is responsible for the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook School.

Adam Lanza killed his mother in their Sandy Hook home before he shot his way into the school and killed 20 students and six adults, state police said.

In a statement reported by the Associated Press, Riverview Sales owner David LaGuerica said that he was “appalled” that Nancy Lanza purchased a gun that may have been used in the tragedy.

“There is nothing more devastating than the loss of a child,” LaGuercia told the AP. “We are absolutely appalled that the product that we sold several years ago would be used in this type of horrendous crime. Our hearts go out to the victims and the families.”

“We are cooperating with law enforcement and their efforts to get to the bottom of this senseless tragedy,” LaGuercia said, according to the AP.

The gun shop has had a history of issues, particularly with being unable to track its inventory.

On Dec. 15, a South Windsor man was arrested after he attempted to steal a long rifle from Riverview Sales.

Jordan Marsh, 26, was charged with third-degree larceny, first-degree robbery, theft of a firearm and carrying of dangerous weapons. He was arraigned in Enfield on Monday and held on $2 million bail.

Further investigation revealed that Marsh had an AR-15 assault rifle stashed at a Hartford hotel where he had been staying, police said.

According to East Windsor Det. Matthew Carl, the AR-15 had been stolen from Riverview Sales, whose employees were unaware that the weapon was missing.

It was not the first time that Marsh had taken guns from Riverview Sales.

Marsh, who, according to relatives, is mentally ill, had previously received a two-year suspended sentence after it was discovered in June 2011 that he had stolen 12 firearms from Riverview Sales.

Store employees were not aware that Marsh had taken 12 guns from the store in the first incident until they were alerted in June 2011.

Marsh isn’t the only person who has stolen a large number of guns from Riverview Sales, according to police.

In 2007, Riverview Sales owner David E. LaGuercia notified the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives that 33 guns were missing from his store, according to the Hartford Courant. Of those 33 guns, 28 were recovered when police searched the home of Brian H. McClelland, who was a frequent customer of the store and helped out on occasion, The Courant reported.

[Editor's note: This article was originally published on Dec. 21. The publication date was changed for layout purposes.]