HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A suspected robber died Wednesday after he was shot by a Dollar Store employee in north Harris County, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
At about 1:16 p.m., the robber parked in front of the Dollar Store on Ella Boulevard near E Airtex Drive and walked inside with a weapon, the sheriff said. He then demanded the safe be opened, Sheriff Gonzalez reported.
An employee saw what was happening, grabbed a gun and shot the robber at least once, the sheriff said. The robber then ran out of the store, got into his vehicle and drove about a block before crashing into a METRO bus.
"It appears he had been bleeding out based on the evidence we are seeing inside the vehicle," the sheriff said.
The robber was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.
An investigation revealed that the robber was carrying an airsoft-type pistol, which is a replica toy gun that isn't capable of firing live ammunition. Investigators also learned that the vehicle the robber was driving was used in another robbery that happened about two days ago at a convenience store in the same area.
This is an ongoing investigation.