Arizona gun store owner says FBI wanted to check gun purchases amid Nancy Guthrie search

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TUCSON, Ariz. – An Arizona gun store owner says an FBI agent asked him to review recent firearm purchases tied to a list of nearly two dozen people, as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues into a third week.

Phillip Martin, co-owner of Armor Bearer Arms in Tucson, told Fox News’ Amalia Roy that an FBI agent visited his store with three pages of approximately 18 to 24 individuals with corresponding photos and names.

The agent, Martin said, asked to check whether any of those people had purchased a firearm from his store within the past year.

“He actually had given me a list of paper, list of people that had pictures and names on it, and he wanted to know if I could help him pull up in my system if any of these people have purchased a gun in the last year,” Martin said.

ADVANCED VIDEO EQUIPMENT SEEN AT NANCY GUTHRIE HOME AS EXPERTS BREAK DOWN ITS POSSIBLE ROLE

Martin said he initially questioned the request but ultimately agreed to help out of concern for Guthrie’s family.

“I felt bad for the family. Anything that could help them find the person I was willing to help,” he said.

Martin said he entered each last name into his store’s electronic records system, which would display identifying information if the individual had made a purchase. He said none of the names returned a match for firearm purchases within the past year.

According to Martin, the agent told him investigators planned to visit additional gun stores to determine whether anyone on the list had recently bought a weapon.

Suspect carrying a gun on Nancy Guthrie's property.

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On Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos disputed reports that authorities have narrowed the suspect pool to a few dozen individuals. During an interview with Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt, Nanos denied that investigators had focused on a specific group.

“That’s not true,” Nanos said when asked whether authorities had identified around 40 people as potential suspects.

“We haven’t narrowed it down to anything other than we have pieces of evidence that we’re looking at to try to find this individual,” Nanos said.