An armed Arizona gas station clerk shot a would-be thief during a botched robbery after the alleged suspect pointed a gun at customers, officials said.
A masked man stormed into a Chevron station at just before 5 a.m. Wednesday and aimed his gun at the clerk, Avondale Police told KSAZ-TV.
The clerk, who was working the graveyard shift, told the outlet that the suspect mumbled the words "rob" and "money."
"In all reality, he didn't need to say anything," the clerk, identified as Brian, said. "The moment he pointed the gun at me, it was pretty obvious what he was there for."
The clerk said when the robber pointed a gun at customers he jumped into action and shot the suspect. He trained for such situations, he told the station.
"The suspect became distracted by another person in the store and the store employee took the opportunity to pull out and use his own firearm, shooting and injuring the suspect," police said in a statement.
ARMED FLORIDA GOOD SAMARITANS DETAIN MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED, SHOT AT 2 WOMEN
The unidentified suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition and no other injuries were reported.
Police said they will review surveillance from inside the store as part of their investigation.
The Avondale Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
