Police on Monday were investigating a pair of armed robberies at Little Rock convenience stores that left one man injured.
Investigators believe the two robberies, which took place within a one-hour period early Monday, are connected, police spokesman Steve Moore said.
In one robbery, a store clerk was shot in the chest when he tried to stop a robber from going behind the store's counter, authorities said.
Police were called at 12:41 a.m. Monday to the Asher One Stop at 2608 S. Maple St., where they found store clerk Altuwaiti Mohamed, 33, of Little Rock behind the counter with a gunshot injury, according to the report.
Mohamed was taken to UAMS Medical Center for treatment. He did not have life-threatening injuries, Moore said.
Surveillance video released by the department Monday showed the lead-up to the shooting.
One of the robbers was buying a drink when the other pulled a gun and opened a door that led behind the store's counter.
Mohamed was shot in the chest as he tried to close the door, police said. Both robbers ran out of the store and turned west.
Police said both robbers returned twice to try to get behind the counter, but Mohamed had locked the door.
Both robbers were described as being 16 to 18 years old, police said.
In the surveillance video, one wore a gray hoodie while the other had a blue backpack and wore a black hoodie.
Police said the robber who shot Mohamed was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.
Less than an hour before the shooting on Maple Street, officers were called to a robbery at a Hess gas station, 7515 Baseline Road, near the intersection of Baseline and Chicot roads, according to a report.
Officers were called to the station just after midnight and spoke with a store employee who said three people had walked into the store, the report said.
One of the robbers demanded money, but when a store employee did not move, the robber fired two shots at him, according to the report.
The employee handed over cash, and the three robbers fled east on Baseline Road, according to the report.
Two of the robbers are described in the report as being between 15 and 17 years old, while the third robber was described as between 18 and 20 years old.
Moore said investigators are looking into whether the robbers could be involved in other crimes.
In some cases, he said, groups are known to commit a series of robberies in a short amount of time.
"We do see them pop up from time to time," he said.
Metro on 04/11/2017