Nearly a year after Whittaker Guns abruptly closed its doors to the public, its former property at 6976 West Louisville Lane remains vacant and on the market. Little information has emerged over the last year, but there are at least some ongoing legal troubles involving the former owner.
Owensboro Times was the first to report on the closure at the end of February 2024. At the time, a sign on the door of the store simply read “Closed to the public 2/27/2024.” A confidential OT source said the closure was permanent. Multiple attempts by OT to reach Darrik Caraway, the owner at the time of the closure, went unanswered.
The company’s website, once a hub for firearms and outdoor gear enthusiasts, displayed a “503 Service Unavailable” error after the store closed and now appears to be defunct. The company’s social media presence under “Whittaker Country” — the name it went by online after a rebranding — has also vanished.
While multiple confidential sources have talked with OT about the circumstances that led to the closure, the exact reason behind the store’s downfall remains unclear. However, there are a handful of legal actions involving Whittaker Guns and Caraway.
Most notably, Caraway was indicted on September 3, 2024, by a grand jury in Franklin Circuit Court on three counts of the Class C felony of theft by failure to make required disposition of property ($10,000 or more in value) and one count of the Class D felony of theft by failure to make required disposition of property ($1,000 < $10,000).
According to court documents, the first alleged Class C theft occurred in 2021, the second in 2022, and the third in 2023. The alleged Class D theft occurred in 2024, according to the indictment.
For each count, the indictment says that Caraway was “doing business as, Whittaker Guns Shop, LLC and Cedarstix Archery and Outdoors, obtained property in the form of sales tax monies … upon agreement or subject to a known legal obligation to make specified payment or other disposition whether from such property or its proceeds or from her own property to be reserved in equivalent amount and he intentionally dealt with the property as his own and failed to make the required payment or disposition.”
Records show Carway was arraigned in Franklin Circuit Court on November 22, is scheduled for a status hearing on February 7, and is scheduled for trial on March 5.
Court records also show that at least two individuals have filed small lawsuits against Whittaker Guns and one person filed a small claims suit against Caraway, all in Daviess Circuit Court. Another court record shows that Easton Technical Products filed a lawsuit against Caraway in McLean Circuit Court, alleging he owed them just more than $40,000.
Realtor Scott Lyons confirmed the site was first listed for sale in late June 2024. The property includes two buildings: a nearly 24,000-square-foot facility built just six years ago and the original 10,000-square-foot Whittaker shop. The asking price initially stood at $1.75 million but was reduced to $1.45 million in October, Lyons said.
The 3.3-acre site remains a draw for investors, according to Lyons.
“We’ve had interest and offers from investors exploring the feasibility of various uses, but the property hasn’t sold yet,” Lyons said. “It’s a fantastic set of buildings, but the location is a bit remote for some buyers.”
Lyons noted the property was foreclosed on and is now bank-owned. It was appraised at $2.7 million about a year ago, suggesting the current listing price presents a significant discount, he said. The buildings are being sold as-is, with utilities still operational and no remaining inventory from the former store.
The site’s zoning allows for business use, and other applications could need approval from local planning and zoning authorities. Lyons emphasized the versatility of the property.
“It’d be perfect for a church or any business needing a large amount of space,” he said. “Someone is going to get a great deal compared to the cost of building something similar from scratch.”
Whittaker Guns opened in 1988 and gained a reputation as Kentucky’s largest gun store, offering firearms, archery products, clothing, and outdoor gear. The store remained a staple in the community for decades, even undergoing a rebrand to “Whittaker Country” in 2019 under new ownership.
Interested parties can contact Scott Lyons of Professional Realty Group at (270) 316-7041 for more information on the property.
