Anniston police said the victim is a clerk at the grocery store, located at 3400 Alexandria Road.
The victim was sweeping the floor near the store’s front doors around 9:20 p.m. Thursday when a man wearing dark clothing walked into the building.
The man wore a rag over his face to conceal his identity and pointed a gun at the victim and his 22-year-old daugh-ter, who was in the store visiting her dad, police said.
Sgt. Fred Forysthe said the suspect demanded money several times from the clerk and his daughter and threatened to shoot them if they didn’t comply.
When the 71-year-old man refused the suspect’s request, the suspect shot him in the lower abdomen, just below his belt, Forsythe said.
Then, the suspect fled the scene.
Minutes later, a couple pulled up to the grocery store for a late-night shopping trip and saw the clerk bleeding on the ground.
The husband was an ex-police officer from Detroit and immediately began to administer first aid by applying pres-sure to the clerk’s wound.
Anniston police, firefighters and EMS personnel were called to the scene and arrived around 9:30 p.m., according to Forsythe and a police report.
An ambulance transported the victim to Regional Medical Center, where he underwent stomach surgery at 10:30 p.m.
Investigators haven’t been able to get in touch with the victim’s family to check on his condition this morning.
Forsythe said he was thankful for the first-aid help provided by the ex-officer from Detroit and noted it was lucky that couple arrived when they did.
Forsythe said investigators have few leads and requested that anyone with information about the robbery and at-tempted murder call investigators at 256-238-1800 extension four.
Star Staff Writer Cameron Steele: 256-235-3562.
