Convenience store robbed during day
A daring gunman robbed Pit Stop North Thursday in broad daylight, perpetrating his crime directly across the street from Bobby Ray Elementary where hundreds of children were at school.
The gunman, described as a tall, middle-aged, white male, remained at large Thursday evening after a painstaking search by police of the neighborhood around the often-robbed Chancery Street store. The search included nearby Bobby Ray Elementary which remained under lockdown throughout the day due to fear the armed fugitive may still be in the area. Three other surrounding schools including Warren County Middle, Warren Academy and West Elementary were also placed under lockdown for precautionary reasons.
According to McMinnville Police Lt. Investigator Derwin Adcock, the heist happened around 11 a.m. Thursday when the lone gunman walked into the store and pulled a gun on the lone female clerk. Police say there were no customers inside at the time of the robbery. The clerk was not hurt.
After taking an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled on foot, disappearing around the side of the building. Police, who arrived minutes later, found no sign of the bandit and continued to sweep the neighborhood to no avail. There are no firm suspects.
The market has been robbed numerous times; however, robbers generally do not hit the store during school hours due to the potential number of witnesses at the school.