SHAWNEE, Kan. — A bold, pre-dawn robbery had the clerk of a convenience store facing down the barrels of two guns. Now Shawnee police hope surveillance video will help catch the crooks.
The robbery happened over the weekend, surveillance shows the crime in progress at the Fuel Expresso, which is in the 23000 block of W. 83rd Street. Video reveals two men crouch down as they enter the store. They make their way over to the counter, and ambush the cashier. Another angle shows the cashier return to the counter from a back room. Seconds later he has two guns pointed at him.
“It’s very surreal. I’m just thankful that none of my customers got hurt and that my employee did not get hurt,” said store manager Delores Huitt.
Huitt says the suspect first parked a silver Dodge Stratus, with its rear facing the store at 5:25 in the morning. They left once, but when they returned, you can see the suspects waited for every car to leave the lot, before making their move at 6 a.m.
We’re told once inside, the men took cash and cigarettes and demanded the cashier open the safe, but he couldn’t.
“Most of the time he was telling them I swear to God I can’t open the safe and stuff. I’m so pleased that he followed everything precise, and that he remained calm himself during this hard time,” Huitt said.
Police say both of the suspects are black males between 5’6″ and 5’8″ in between 140, and 160 pounds. One was wearing dark-colored jeans and a black sweatshirt with Nike across the front, white gloves and white tennis shoes.
The second suspect was wearing a black and turquoise sweatshirt which was inside out blue gloves with white fingertips and black and white shoes. Police say the getaway car was later found abandoned in Shawnee, it turns out that it was stolen from Kansas City, Mo. earlier on the night of the robbery.
If you have any information, call Shawnee police or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS. As for that cashier, he’s said to be shaken, but otherwise ok. No word on if he plans to return back to work.