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May 28, 2007
Clerk at store kills teen armed robber
By rew Nelson
[email protected]
A 17-year-old Jackson resident was killed and a 16-year-old wounded in the armed robbery of a convenience store early Sunday.
Deonta Thomas of Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. Ryaneal Campbell, also of Jackson, was wounded in the right leg and hospitalized.
The two were among four males who entered the Super 7 Gas convenience store at 4564 Bullard St., armed with handguns and shotguns, and tried to rob the business, according to the Jackson Police Department.
The two teenagers were shot by an unidentified clerk, who has not been charged.
According to JPD, the four entered the store, located on the northeast corner of Boling and Bullard streets about 1:15 a.m. Two were carrying pistols, and two were carrying shotguns. There were two clerks and no customers in the store at the time.
There was a struggle between one of the clerks and two of the suspects, according to police, and the clerk was able to wrest the pistol away from one of the robbers. The suspects tried to flee. One of the clerks then fired a large-caliber handgun, hitting Thomas and Campbell, police said.
The other two suspects ran off and were still at large Sunday evening.
Campbell was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He will be arrested on suspicion of armed robbery of a business when he is released, according to JPD.
Money taken in the robbery was recovered at the scene, police said. Surveillance video of the incident was recorded but has not been made public.
Sunday evening, a woman who identified herself as the manager of the store would not comment.
Darryl Beacham, who was filling a Ford van with gas outside, said the the shootings were a tragedy but the clerks had a right to defend themselves.
"Somebody comes in, wants to rob you, you give them money, they might leave, (but) they still might kill you," he said. "It's ... happened plenty of times."
Bobby Singh, 42, the owner of Fuel Time on the other side of Bullard Street, said the neighborhood is generally safe. But he takes precautions. He said tells the night crew not to go outside and to keep the door to the area behind the counter, which is protected by bulletproof glass, locked.
"This area is not bad," he said. "We've had one year here of business. People are very friendly. They never steal or anything."
But he agreed with Beacham. Clerks in Jackson have been killed even after cooperating with robbers. And such incidents have left some of those behind the counters at convenience stores frightened. So it may not surprising that at least one of the employees had a gun available.
"What happened last night was completely natural," he said.
Clerk at store kills teen armed robber
By rew Nelson
[email protected]
A 17-year-old Jackson resident was killed and a 16-year-old wounded in the armed robbery of a convenience store early Sunday.
Deonta Thomas of Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. Ryaneal Campbell, also of Jackson, was wounded in the right leg and hospitalized.
The two were among four males who entered the Super 7 Gas convenience store at 4564 Bullard St., armed with handguns and shotguns, and tried to rob the business, according to the Jackson Police Department.
The two teenagers were shot by an unidentified clerk, who has not been charged.
According to JPD, the four entered the store, located on the northeast corner of Boling and Bullard streets about 1:15 a.m. Two were carrying pistols, and two were carrying shotguns. There were two clerks and no customers in the store at the time.
There was a struggle between one of the clerks and two of the suspects, according to police, and the clerk was able to wrest the pistol away from one of the robbers. The suspects tried to flee. One of the clerks then fired a large-caliber handgun, hitting Thomas and Campbell, police said.
The other two suspects ran off and were still at large Sunday evening.
Campbell was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He will be arrested on suspicion of armed robbery of a business when he is released, according to JPD.
Money taken in the robbery was recovered at the scene, police said. Surveillance video of the incident was recorded but has not been made public.
Sunday evening, a woman who identified herself as the manager of the store would not comment.
Darryl Beacham, who was filling a Ford van with gas outside, said the the shootings were a tragedy but the clerks had a right to defend themselves.
"Somebody comes in, wants to rob you, you give them money, they might leave, (but) they still might kill you," he said. "It's ... happened plenty of times."
Bobby Singh, 42, the owner of Fuel Time on the other side of Bullard Street, said the neighborhood is generally safe. But he takes precautions. He said tells the night crew not to go outside and to keep the door to the area behind the counter, which is protected by bulletproof glass, locked.
"This area is not bad," he said. "We've had one year here of business. People are very friendly. They never steal or anything."
But he agreed with Beacham. Clerks in Jackson have been killed even after cooperating with robbers. And such incidents have left some of those behind the counters at convenience stores frightened. So it may not surprising that at least one of the employees had a gun available.
"What happened last night was completely natural," he said.
