A clerk shot and killed a man who pulled a gun on him during an attempted robbery at a Florida food store Saturday, deputies said.
Clay County deputies said the clerk, at Prime Stop Food Store in Orange Park, became suspicious after a man wearing sunglasses walked into the store around midnight.
Deputies said that William Smith, 29, pulled out a gun and tried to rob the store.
The clerk, who had a concealed carry permit, grabbed his own gun and shot the man, deputies said.
Deputies found Smith lying on the ground next to a small-caliber handgun. Authorities said the car he drove to the store was running in the parking lot.
Smith was pronounced dead at the store, deputies said.
His family said he was addicted to drugs.
"In all honesty, if he didn’t die this way, he would have ended up dying," his sister, Lisa Marie, said. "He would have ended up killing himself on drugs."
His mother, Tamara Cartrette, said her family has no hard feelings toward the clerk.
“We have no ill will against the person that felt they had to retaliate because he had the gun," she said. "Our heart goes out to that family also.”
The attempted robbery was caught on surveillance video but deputies have not released the footage.
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