Convenience Store Clerk Shot During Robbery Attempt
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Police are searching for two armed robbers involved in a violent holdup at a convenience store in Washington County Wednesday morning.
By the time the robbery was over, one clerk at the Uni-Mart had been shot and another employee was assaulted.
"I guess he just came in and shot the guy and they proceeded to start to rob the place," Jim Jackson said.
Jackson made his daily soda delivery to the Uni-Mart in Washington just a few hours before his friend and clerk at the store, 56-year-old John Helfrich, was shot.
KDKA's Marty Griffin Reports:
"Rapid entry, immediately jump up on the counter. One guy holding a handgun shoots the clerk one time," Detective Dan Stanek said.
The other store employees standing in the back saw what was going on and tried to run.
"The guy who's not armed goes and sees him, goes after him, knocks him to the ground, kicks him," Stanek said.
Back at the front of the store, Helfrich was pummeled as he tried to give the assailants what they wanted.
"They're getting him back there trying to get the register open and physically assaulting him as he's doing it. They're kicking him, hitting him," Stanek said.
They got what they wanted and took off, but not before the gunman appeared to try and kill the clerk.
"It appears that he pulls the trigger from the video but the gun just doesn't go off. It could've been a lot worse," Stanek said.
KDKA's Ross Guidotti Reports:
Surveillance video is currently being processed by police and will be released to the media eventually.
Shot man taken to Pittsburgh hospital for treatment, expected to survive as is the other guy.
RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Washington County News
More Reports From Ross Guidotti
