Shots are fired in robbery of store
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on April 13, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/ALAN CAMPBELL
An officer with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office investigates an armed robbery at the business.
Shots were fired at a clerk in a Handy Mart convenience store Tuesday as two unknown suspects were robbing the establishment.
The suspects entered the Handy Mart, located at 2495 U.S. 13 North, just after 7:30 p.m. with a handgun.
At the time of the armed robbery, the gas station clerk on duty, Robin Darden, was stocking cigarettes when two unidentified men entered the store -- one man brandished a handgun -- as both suspects demanded all the money in the store, threatening to shoot.
Ms. Darden told Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies that shots were fired inside the store during the robbery.
During the robbery, one of the men allegedly pointed a handgun at Ms. Darden.
Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said the clerk was not struck by any of the shots.
"They (the gun shots) were shot toward the clerk, but toward the floor," Effler said. "Just scared the clerk to death."
After robbing the store and taking an unknown amount of cash, the two men got into a white Hyundai Elantra that was parked behind Wood Cycles and fled in the direction of Hood Swamp Road.
A witness identified the white Hyundai Elantra that was sitting behind Wood Cycles during the robbery that the suspects fled in, and went back into the store after the robbery to check on Ms. Darden.
The two men are suspected to be two black males and were reportedly wearing all black clothing with face masks and gloves during the robbery.
One suspect is described as being a dark-skinned black man who was wearing gray gloves, standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. The other suspect is described as a light-skinned black man who was wearing black gloves with neon green fingertips, standing 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 145 pounds.