By Pat Culverhouse

A pair of would-be robbers got an unexpected hot reception that resulted in a brief exchange of gunfire during an unsuccessful attempt to hold up a local convenience store Saturday evening. 

Chief of Police Jared McIver said two black males entered a Pine Street store sometime between 8:30 and 9 p.m. and pulled weapons on the clerk. They didn’t know the store clerk also had a weapon at hand.

McIver said the clerk took advantage of an opportunity and retrieved a 9MM handgun and fired a shot at the suspects. One of the men reportedly immediately ran from the scene while the other exchanged shots before fleeing. No one was hit during the shooting, McIver said. Both suspects remain at large.

“The two suspects were masked, one with a Halloween Scream-type mask and the other with his face covered and wearing a hoodie. They were armed with an AR pistol and a .22 pistol,” McIver said. “They didn’t know the clerk was armed.”

According to the chief, the suspects may have had a game plan when they entered the store, but everything changed quickly.

“They went in with a plan, but not suspecting the clerk to be armed. That altered their plans, which made them make a lot of mistakes,” the chief said. “We’ve retrieved a lot of evidence from the scene that could lead to an arrest pretty soon.”

McIver said the public could be helpful in finding the individuals who attempted to rob the store.

Anyone with information may call 371-4226 or 377-1212. All callers will remain anonymous and information will be confidential.