Gunfight Ensues When 7-Eleven Shooters Confront Police

BALTIMORE, MD — Workers monitoring CitiWatch cameras saw two men with guns going into a 7-Eleven overnight and alerted police to an armed robbery, Baltimore police said. One of the suspects shot at the officers as they attempted to enter the store around 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, police said.

"It's an absolute blessing that...none of these officers took a bullet in this doorway when they were being shot at," Baltimore Police Chief of Media Relations T.J. Smith said.

After the officers retreated, police said the suspects ran in different directions.

One of the suspects had a 9 mm gun, and Smith said analysts were still conducting ballistics examinations.

Three officers from the central district fired at the suspects: one was a three-year veteran, another a four-year veteran and the other was a 3.5-year patrol officer in the central district.

It was not known whether either suspect had been hit, and authorities said they were checking local hospitals.

The 7-Eleven had been robbed three times in 2017 and more recently, on Friday, Jan. 12, Smith said.

Although police have not determined whether the suspects were involved in those, Smith said: "It certainly isn't their first time at the rodeo."

Added Smith: "These don't look like inexperienced criminals. They look like hardened criminals..."

The suspect who fired went north on North Charles Street, while the other headed west on Saratoga Street.

The ATF, FBI, Baltimore Police Department and Metro Crime Stoppers are offering a $24,000 reward for information in the case. Call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCKUP REWARD.

Warning: There is some graphic language.

Still from Baltimore Police Department video.