Burglars went after a gun safe Saturday in a house pinpointed in a New York newspaper's published handgun permit database.
Now a Republican state senator who is to introduce a law intended to keep the names of those who have gun permits private is fighting mad over the break-in.
Police in White Plains said at least two burglars broke into a home but were unable to open the safe,
Newsday reports. The gun safe contained legally owned weapons, and one suspect was taken into custody.
The gun owner, a man in his 70s, wasn't home when the burglary occurred, and he told Newsday Sunday he wouldn't comment while the investigation continues.
The homeowner's name and address were part of the interactive map of gun permit holders published on a website owned by The Journal News, a White Plains-based newspaper.
Police are still investigating whether the database played any part in the burglars' target, and would not release any further information Sunday.
State Sen. Greg Ball and other other elected officials have been complaining that the information on the map could help criminals.
"If the connection is proven, this is further proof that these maps are not only an invasion of privacy but that they present a clear and present danger to law-abiding, private citizens," Ball said Sunday.
Ball, a conservative, says the newspaper should be held accountable for the break-in, saying it has “placed the lives of these folks at risk by creating a virtual shopping list for criminals and nut jobs.”
The Journal News published its story and interactive map on Dec. 23, nine days after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.