Cache of high-powered weapons stolen from LA SWAT team training site; 'It's embarrassing' chief says

A stash of high-powered submachine guns and handguns was stolen in a brazen overnight heist from a Los Angeles Police Department SWAT unit training facility, police said.

An officer discovered the weapons missing from a locked box on the first floor of the downtown L.A. facility on Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The thieves cut through locks on three doors and smashed through a metal roll gate to get to the weapons, which were modified to fire only blanks and set to be used in SWAT team training exercises, the newspaper said.

The building, which was set up with a series of rooms indented to provide realistic high-risk and hostage situations, did not have an alarm system or surveillance cameras.

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