A man shot a storekeeper in the mouth during a robbery this morning at the Third Avenue Market south of downtown Denver, officials say.
Another storekeeper was punched and kicked in the head and body during the robbery, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. Neither suffered what are considered life-threatening injuries.
The suspect entered the market, at West Third Avenue and Elati Street, at about 9:15 a.m. He walked around the store for a bit, picking up food before going to the counter. That is when police say he pulled a gun out and demanded money from the man working at the counter.
Before the man could respond, Jackson said, the suspect shot him. The suspect then jumped over the counter and tried to break into the cash register.
When a woman who also works at the store and had been in the bathroom tried to flee the store, Jackson said the suspect caught her and beat her. He then fled. Jackson said he did not know if the suspect made off with any money.
The suspect, believed to be in his early 20s, had a maroon-colored bruise or birthmark on his face, Jackson said. He was wearing a blue sweater. Jackson said people in the neighborhood had seen him hanging around the area before.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
