Two sought in shooting death of store clerk

A convenience store clerk was shot and killed early Wednesday during a robbery, and police in North Las Vegas are searching for two suspects.

The shooting happened about 2 a.m. at a 7-Eleven store at 2100 E. Cheyenne Ave., near Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon said. Police were called to the scene by a person at the store, who flagged down a patrol officer, she said.

The 38-year-old victim, who was not identified Wednesday, was pronounced dead a short time after arriving at University Medical Center.

Suspect information was not given Wednesday, and Coon would not go into specifics about the case, citing an ongoing investigation. But she said it appeared the suspects had not gone into the store with the intention of killing.

"They were after the money," she said. "And during that robbery, at some point, they decided to murder the clerk."

The slaying was the second act of violence in the evening against an employee involved in what can be a dangerous profession. About five hours earlier, Las Vegas police officer Michael Madland was critically injured in a shooting while responding to a series of crimes.

Coon said people who find themselves victims of robberies should generally cooperate.

"Police ask that they be the best witness you can be, getting good descriptions, doing what they (the criminals) want," Coon said. "But in some situations, there's nothing you can do. Sometimes, bad people just do bad things."

Jeff Lenard, a spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores, said there are about 145,000 convenience stores in the United States and 5 to 6 percent of all robberies are committed in convenience stores.

Convenience stores are everywhere and anywhere, Lenard says, and often break ground in areas that businesses avoid due to crime rates.

"It's part of the challenge because there's a market in those areas," he said. "If you Google the news and type 'convenience store,' the results are crime, crime, crime."

In 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupation Injuries report listed 47 total homicides for law enforcement officers, which included police officers, criminal investigators and correctional officers.

Of those homicides, 37 were shooting deaths, the report said.

In the retail sales category, 38 clerks or cashiers died by homicide, with 35 deaths coming from guns. It's not clear what percentage of those deaths were convenience store clerks, but the job description is similar.

"No one wants to shop at a place they don't feel safe at," said Lenard. "No one wants to work at a store they don't feel safe at."

Lenard said he couldn't comment on the circumstances of Wednesday's shooting in North Las Vegas, but his organization has recommendations to increase safety.

He said the better the lighting is outside, the less likelihood a criminal wants to go inside. That also falls in line with another piece of advice: Keep the shelves low, so it's harder to hide in the store, and keep the windows free of signs and writing.

"Crooks want to have more of a comfort level in knowing it's unlikely their crime will be spotted from the street," he said. "The more signs up, the less lights, the more it looks like a submarine."

Above all else, Lenard said, it's vital that stores keep their cash registers light and cooperate fully with criminals.

It's impossible to eliminate all crime, but you can minimize risks, he said.

"Treat the criminal as if it's your best customer," he said. "Give them what they want, and get them out of the store fast."

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.