A store clerk shot and killed a man in a scuffle during an alleged robbery attempt at a Tennessee gas station, local police say.
DeCarlos Groves, 25, was caught on surveillance video “producing a handgun during an apparent robbery attempt” at a Nashville gas station at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday, according to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department media release.
Groves leapt over the counter and landed on top of the store clerk, 20-year-old Peter Fang, police said. Fang pulled out a gun from his shirt pocket, which “discharged as Groves landed on him, striking Groves.” As the two men allegedly struggled with each other, “additional shots were fired from Fang’s gun and Groves fell to the floor. Fang called police. Groves died at the scene,” the press release reads. (RELATED: All Charges Dropped Against Man Who Stabbed Homeless Man On Subway)
NEW DETAILS: Homicide detectives with @MNPDNashville are investigating a self-defense claim following “an apparent robbery attempt” and a deadly shooting inside Corner Mart.@WKRN https://t.co/kyPBIWgHwZ
— Colleen Guerry WKRN (@ColleenGuerry) July 8, 2023
Homicide Unit detectives are investigating the claim that Fang’s fatal shooting was done in self-defense, according to the statement.
The police department released a separate statement Tuesday warning Nashville residents to be more security-conscious. Officers said 676 guns, or nearly 80% of all guns stolen in the city so far in 2023, were stolen from vehicles. Vehicle theft goes hand-in-hand with vehicle burglaries, and both guns taken from vehicles and stolen vehicles are routinely involved in criminal activities, including carjackings and robberies, the statement continued.