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2 Clerks Shot In Convenience Store Robbery In Gulfport

News Channel 8 photo by ANTHONY ALLRED

Two clerks were shot Monday night at the Joy Foodsmart on 49th Street South in Gulfport.

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By SAMARA SODOS

News Channel 8

Published: December 22, 2008

Updated: 12/22/2008 11:04 pm

Two clerks were shot Monday night at a Gulfport convenience store during a robbery attempt, police said.

The shooting happened at the Joy Foodsmart on 49th Street South, police said. Police responded first to a silent panic alarm, then a hang-up 911 call just after 8:30 p.m.

Investigators said they think three robbers were involved, but they do not yet whether any cash was taken. They said surveillance video captured the event.

One clerk was behind the counter, the other at the front door, police said. Both were taken to a hospital, and their conditions were not immediately available.

Randy Diggs lives around the corner and knows the clerks. He said they are generous to regular customers.

"It's sad to see a lot of people running around here shooting people and hurting people for a dollar or two, when these people you could ask them, and they'd give it to you,'' Diggs said.

It has been a dangerous month for convenience store clerks in Pinellas County. On Dec. 1, 53-year-old Narendra Patel was shot three times while working in a convenience store he owned in St. Petersburg. Two days later, his brother, Indravadan Patel, was shot in the abdomen at his convenience store, also in St. Petersburg.

Investigators said it's too early to tell whether those robberies are related to Monday's robbery.

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