Authorities are warning the public about the 400 guns from a UPS facility in Memphis.(Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Hundreds of guns that were stolen from a United States Parcel Service facility in Tennessee were recovered in the Chicago area, federal authorities said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said most of the roughly 400 guns taken from a UPS facility in Memphis were found in Midlothian, Chicago suburb.

ATF had said two men in a U-Haul truck took the Sunday. Agency spokesman Michael Knight said the truck was back along with the guns.

An 18-year-old man has been busy in the theft. Authorities are searching for the second suspect in addition to anyone else who has been involved, Knight said.

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The estimate of 400 stolen firearms makes it one of the largest single gun thefts the ATF has investigated, Knight said. Agents are trying to determine if they have been found.

"We are concerned that the firearms will not end up in the Memphis area, but also across the country," Knight said before the guns recovery. "The criminal element knows no geographical boundary."

Authorities had been concerned about the potential of this effect on public safety and this Tuesday. ATF offered a $ 5,000 reward for information to an author and asked the public to send social media posts, photos or any other information related to the theft.

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Memphis, like other large metropolitan areas, has a problem with violent crime, including gun-related offenses. The metro area, with more than 1.3 million people, saw an estimated 15,737 violent crimes in 2017, FBI statistics showed.

UPS said in a statement that it is working with law enforcement but does not comment on open investigations.

Knight said that it is more complicated than a gun shop, for example, because Knight said.

"It's a very important thing that we're looking for sure that every one is accounted for, from the shipper as well as from the receiver," Knight said.

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