Two charged in St. Paul gas station shooting

A 16-year-old has been charged with shooting and wounding a convenience store clerk during a Sunday evening robbery in St. Paul.

The teen faces one count each of first- and second-degree assault. The Ramsey County Attorney's Office also charged the teen with two firearms violations.

The alleged getaway driver, Josmar Najera, 18, of St. Paul, is facing two counts of aiding an offender.

Police say they got a call about 6 p.m. from a customer at the Clark SuperDay store on West 7th Street near Sibley Plaza. The customer reported that a clerk was on the floor, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The clerk was taken by ambulance to Regions Hospital, and underwent immediate surgery.

The clerk later told police the suspect held him at gunpoint and demanded cash.

He said he was shot once or twice in the stomach as he attempted to run away from the shooter.

Witnesses provided a description of the getaway car, which police spotted a few blocks away. There were two people in the car, said police spokesperson Steve Linders: one was an adult driver, the other a juvenile male. The juvenile had only one shoe.

"The other shoe was found near the gas station," Linders said. "It's believed the juvenile male was the shooter. Both were taken into custody without incident."

Linders said video of the robbery showed a male wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, face mask and white T-shirt enter the store while brandishing a handgun. Police also found a single 9 mm shell casing in the store where the clerk was shot.

"What we have here is a great example of the community and their police officers working together to catch two people that were involved in a terrible crime that could have left someone dead," Linders said. "Thankfully, the victim is expected to recover."