Ellenton Premium Outlets jewelry store employee trades gunfire with robbers

Ellenton, Florida – August 15, 2024 – Two masked men armed with at least one gun tried to rob a jewelry store, Manatee Sheriff’s deputies said. Shots were fired during an armed robbery attempt at a jewelry store in the Ellenton Premium Outlets on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said no one was injured and nothing was taken in the attempted robbery. Two men fled the scene before deputies could make an arrest, according to a news release.

Two unidentified men wearing masks and blue shirts entered the jewelry store inside the Ellenton Premium Outlets, 5295 Factory Shops Blvd., Ellenton, at around 2:50 p.m., according to a news release. The sheriff’s office said they were armed with at least one handgun.

After entering the store, the sheriff’s office said one of the men approached an employee and shot a round toward the back of the store. The shot did not strike anyone, deputies said.

In response, the sheriff’s office said an employee pulled out a gun and shot in the direction of the alleged armed robbers but missed. No one was hit by either gunfire, according to a news release.

The sheriff’s office said the two men then fled the store and ran toward the parking lot, where they were chased by an off-duty deputy who was on the property and responded to the store shortly after the shots were fired.

The off-duty deputy secured the store and made sure no one was injured before facing the two unknown men, who the sheriff’s office said drove off in what appeared to be a silver Toyota Highlander.

Paramedics were called for someone inside the store who was having a medical episode following the incident, but the sheriff’s office reported no one was hit by gunfire during the attempted robbery. The investigation remains active, according to the sheriff’s office.

Article provided by Tampa Bay Times. The article was redacted to remove the jewelry store’s name. Click here to read the unredacted article. Watch a video of incident below.

If you have any information regarding this incident or the two suspects, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

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