PHILADELPHIA STORE EMPLOYEE FIRES BACK AFTER BEING SHOT: POLICE

Police Say One Of The Suspects Shot The Employee. She Was Hit At Least Two Times In The Upper Thigh Area.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia store clerk fired back after being shot by an armed robbery suspect, police say.

It happened just before 4 a.m. Tuesday in a variety store on the 5500 block of Torresdale Avenue in Wissinoming.

Police say two armed male suspects entered the store and went behind the counter. They pointed their guns at the 32-year-old female clerk.

Police say one of the suspects shot the employee. She was hit at least two times in the upper thigh area.

After being shot, police say the employee took out a gun of her own and fired several shots at the suspects.

A total of seven shots were fired at the scene, police say.

The employee and the store manager told police she struck one of the suspects causing him to drop his gun.

"We believe that the reason one of the perpetrators dropped his weapon on the scene is that he may have been struck by gunfire," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott said.

The store clerk was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in critical condition.

"She was a brave, young woman involved in a shootout with two males that were armed with guns. She stood her ground. We're hoping for the best for her," Small said.