A burglar attempted to pry open a gun locker inside a White Plains home listed on the controversial gun permit map posted on Lohud.com in December, police say.
No one was home in the dwelling at 125 Davis Ave. at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday night when at least one burglar entered through a second-story window, said White Plains Police Lt. Eric Fisher. The intruder attempted to open a gun locker in the home, but eventually left with just jewelry, Fisher said.
Although the home was one of thousands listed on Lohud's map, police say they have not made a connection between the map and burglary at this point.
"I have no independent evidence that suggests that it's tied to the gun map," Fisher said. "We are treating this as any other burglary."
Fisher said it is "hard to tell" at this point if more than one person broke into the home, but it is likely police are looking for a lone burglar. There have been no arrests in the case and the investigation remains open.
The Journal News has been the center of an international controversy since publishing the names and addresses of thousands of people in Westchester and Rockland Counties with gun permits. Political leaders from across the region have cited safety concerns among the reasons why the map should not have been published.
Since publishing the map on Dec. 23, The Journal News ran an article answering some frequently asked questions about the map. That article states that the information was obtained through Freedom of Information requests and is publicly accessible. The map cannot be searched by name or downloaded from the site, but anyone can zoom into a neighborhood and view names and addresses of people holding a permit to own a pistol.
The newspaper has reportedly increased security at both its White Plains and West Nyack offices in response to threats following the map's publication. There have been several instances of suspicious powder mailed to the newspaper's headquarters over the last month.
Westchester County Robert Astorino has called for the map to be taken down. Astorino again publicly asked The Journal News to remove the map during a press conference Wednesday.
"There is no rhyme or reason for what The Journal News did," Astorino said. "I think they have put a lot of people at risk."
