Apparent would-be fireworks thieves got more than they bargained for when a shop owner opened fire on them in North Austin.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the aggravated robbery of the Big Tex Fireworks stand in North Austin, KVUE reported.
The stand employees told officers that two suspects, clad in all-black clothing, robbed the stand at gunpoint Monday night. This prompted one of the employees fired at the suspects, hitting one of them.
The employee called the police at 11:55 p.m. and told dispatch that the suspects shot at the employees first, and that is when he returned fire.
Crime scene investigators were at the location on West Howard Lane overnight Monday, taking pictures and interviewing employees, the station reported.
Sheriff’s deputies found a man a short distance away suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The wounds were not life-threatening, and the suspect was taken to a hospital under the custody of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
The search continues for the second suspect, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident or the whereabouts of the missing suspect is asked to call the Travis County Sheriff’s Office at 512-854-9770.