Avondale gas station clerk shoots armed robbery suspect, police say

AVONDALE, Ariz. - An armed gas station clerk shot a suspect who allegedly pointed a gun at him and a customer during an attempted robbery Wednesday morning in Avondale.

Avondale Police confirm the shooting happened just after 5 a.m. on Jan. 18 at a Chevron gas station near 107th Avenue and Indian School Road.

The clerk, Brian, told FOX 10 that he was working a graveyard shift when the suspect came into the convenience store, had his face covered, and mumbled the words "rob" and money." The suspect then allegedly pointed a gun at the clerk and customer.

Brian says he knew he needed to protect himself and the customer.

"In all reality, he didn't need to say anything," he said. "The moment he pointed the gun at me, it was pretty obvious what he was there for."

The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition. No other injuries were reported.

"The suspect became distracted by another person in the store and the store employee took the opportunity to pull out and use his own firearm, shooting and injuring the suspect," police said in a statement.

Police say they will review surveillance footage from inside the gas station as part of their investigation.