By Roslyn Anderson - bio | email
PEARL, MS (WLBT) – An attempted armed robbery ended with one person dead and another in critical condition Tuesday in Pearl.
Police said gunfire erupted at a business located at 3040 East Highway 80.
The shooting victims were cross dressers who attempted to rob the pawn shop.
One of the men is believed to have tried to hold up the business before but was not successful.
Shell casings and at least one hand gun lay scattered on the ground in front of Gold and Silver Extravaganza Pawn Shop after police said two men entered the business in disguises.
911 received the call reporting a shooting around 5:45 p.m.
"The individuals came heavily armed. They had several, several weapons," Lt. Butch Townsend with the Pearl Police Department said. "They were dressed as women, complete with wigs painted fingernails, ladies under garments and hospital scrubs."
Lt. Townsend said the male manager and a female employee, whose names weren't released, were working in the store.
The manager opened fire on the two men.
One died at the scene.
A second was transported to a local hospital with a critical head wound.
Investigators said an attempted robbery occurred at this same business about two weeks ago.
They said one of the men was driving the same maroon Nissan Altima that was parked in front of the Gold and Silver Extravaganza Pawn Shop.
"We saw a gentleman lying on the ground with handcuffs on," Thelma Paige of Pearl said.
She was driving east on Highway 80 when she saw the emergency vehicles surrounding the business.
"We did see one of the people brought out on a gurney, put into the ambulance. We hadn't seen the second person to confirm that really was two shot," said Paige.
Bullet holes could be seen on the doors of the business.
Authorities said two guns were on the floor.
They are not sure if the robbery suspects fired any shots.
Police have not released the identity of deceased man or the one critically injured.
No pawn shop workers were injured.
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