On 6 September a man calmly walked into the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of Scheels sporting goods store and moments later waddled out with a stolen rifle stuffed down his pants leg.

The Des Moines Register reported that the thief managed to slip a full stocked Ruger Mini-14 Tactical into his pants and make a, not particularly speedy, getaway.

Ruger Mini-14 Tactical (Ruger)

It was three weeks before staff realised the rifle was missing, while doing a routine stock audit, and reported it to the police. Employees then reviewed the store’s surveillance footage after noticing the missing rifle and notified West Des Moines PD when they saw the suspicious limp.

The store’s CCTV tapes showed the man enter the store and begin filling a shopping cart with goods. He then took the Mini-14 from the rack and placed it in his cart, hiding it under some other items. He went into the store’s bathroom with the shopping cart and apparently slipped the rifle down his right pants leg. Local police speculated the rifle may have been in an unlocked discount rack.

He then limped out of the bathroom, abandoned his shopping cart and hobbled out of the store. Surveilance tapes showed the thief getting into a red Ford Mustang.

On 28 September West Des Moines Police Department released a video of the suspect and his daring theft: