by Nick Beres
MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. - A violent type of gang initiation may be behind a string of recent store robberies in and around Maury County.
That's the word from Columbia Police Detectives who are investigating a half dozen cases in the city the past several weeks. There have been close to a dozen countywide.
"They come in ready to rob the store and they're in and out in a matter or a minute or two," said Detective Jeremy Haywood.
The most recent robbery attempt happened Tuesday night at a Dollar General in Columbia. The surveillance video shows a person in a mask and gun trying to get in the locked front door before leaving.
Similarities between that incident and others caught on surveillance video have detectives exploring the gang theory. They say the string of robberies could be organized by local gang leaders who send out young foot soldiers to bring in cash as some sort of gang initiation.
"I can't say that for sure, but it's a possibility," said Haywood.
In each case the robbers wore masks and used similar handguns. And they show no sign of slowing down despite the publicity warning the public.
The first such robbery happened on July 4th and the most recent just this week.
There were two recent Dollar General Store robberies in Nashville, but detectives do not believe they are related to the ones in Maury county.
