SAN ANTONIO – Detectives are working to piece together the details of a shootout that took place inside a 7-Eleven store on the city’s Southeast side early Friday morning.
The gun violence left one man, who San Antonio police said was not armed with a gun, suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound to his head.
Officers found him at the business, located on Rigsby Avenue near Loop 410, when they arrived around 2 a.m.
They also questioned several people, including the store clerk.
Two detectives involved in the case told KSAT 12 News that the clerk was one of the people involved in the shootout.
They said the other gunman was among a group of three who had entered the business.
The clerk believed one of them was attempting to steal from the store, and that led to an argument, police said.
At some point, both the clerk and one of the men began shooting at each other, police said.
The man who was hit by the gunfire was part of the group, but police said he did not appear to have a weapon, detectives said.
The incident left the store with shattered glass doors and windows.
It remained closed for several hours, even after investigators had left the scene.
Jamie Coleman, an occasional customer of the store, drove by on his way out of town and got an eyeful.
“I pulled up and saw the tape and stuff. And I saw the glass,” he said. “(I) came over here to see what was going on. I guess I was being nosy.”
A retired military man, Coleman said he was surprised to hear that what began as a war of words led to gunfire.
“I believe we have a right to arm ourselves and protect ourselves. But I get a little concerned when I hear that someone, an employee of any type of establishment retaliates with a weapon,” Coleman said.
As of mid-morning, detectives still were trying to sort out exactly what happened.
They said early on that they were not sure who fired the first shot or who among the people involved might face criminal charges.
This is the second shooting at a local 7-Eleven store this week.
Early New Year’s Day, a clerk was shot and killed during a robbery at a 7-Eleven near Interstate 10 and Callaghan Road.
Police are still looking for the person responsible for the murder of Timothy Collins, 42.