Gunman robs Shell, gets away

A masked gunman targeted a store in one of the busiest parts of McMinnville Monday night and escaped with hundreds of dollars in cash after robbing the Shell Station on North Chancery Street.

The heist happened just after 9 p.m. at the convenience store across from Wal-Mart and just down from a packed carnival which began Monday night at Northgate Shopping Center parking lot.

According to investigators, the gunman walked into the store wearing a mask, brandishing a pistol, and demanding the lone male clerk hand over the store?s money. However, the clerk was busy stocking shelves and ignored the gun-wielding robber, thinking it was someone playing a prank.

Not to be discouraged, the robber walked over to the cash register and helped himself to the store?s money, at that point convincing the clerk it was a real robbery. The man then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police say the robber was wearing a mask and gloves but otherwise do not have a description as far as race or build. The robbery itself was one of the first at the Northgate Shell location which has basically been ignored by most robbers due to its location.

Some lawmen suspect the robber may have used the larger-than-normal traffic, many coming to enjoy the annual carnival, to blend into the crowd when he fled just before police arrived. Anyone having information, or anyone who may have witnessed the man running away from the store, should call police at 473-3386.