[url]http://www.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/0527tempeshoot27.html[/url]

Attempted robbery leaves 1 dead, 2 hurt

By Senta Scarborough and Carlos Miller
The Arizona Republic
May 27, 2002

A pawnshop employee armed with a shotgun outmatched three men suspected of trying to rob the store at gunpoint Sunday, leaving one suspect dead, one suspect critically injured and a suspect in custody.


A second pawnshop employee was shot at least once in the leg during the botched robbery, Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said. No names of victims, suspects or employees have been released by police.

The attempted robbery occurred about 4:55 p.m. at the Pawn Tempe Loan Co. at Southern Avenue and Kyrene Road, police said.

A gun battle broke out between the suspects and store employees, Masters said.

"He (an employee) had shells in his pocket," said J.T. Clark, who frequents the pawnshop with his father. "They have enough guns in there to hold up an army."

One suspect died a few feet outside the store and was later pronounced dead at Tempe St. Luke's Hospital, police said.

The other suspects, a driver and a passenger, who suffered a gunshot wound in the face, fled in a dark green Monte Carlo on Mill Avenue heading south toward U.S. 60.

When police received the robbery call, they requested paramedics to a nearby location, Masters said.

But the fleeing suspects spotted the paramedics about a mile and a half from the pawnshop, at the Shurgard Storage parking lot, not realizing they were there responding to the incident, and sought medical attention.

The wounded passenger, who had been wearing body armor when shot, was treated by Tempe paramedics and transported to Scottsdale Osborne Hospital. The driver was arrested. The employee who was shot at least once in the leg was also transported to Scottsdale Osborne.

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