Police said an 18-year-old man shot himself early Tuesday after robbing a convenience store in Charlotte.
Charlotte police officers told WSOCTV the robbery happened around 2:15 a.m. at the Kangaroo Express on North Tryon Street. Police identified the man as Lavarius Patterson.
The store clerk who called 911 said the 18-year-old man robbed the business but then accidentally shot himself.
The clerk told investigators that the man ran out of the store. A witness told police they heard a gunshot come from the direction in which the suspect ran and then saw him limping away from the area.
Police were called a couple of hours later by officials at Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy who said a man came to the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the leg. Their description matched that of Patterson.
Patterson is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Officers have not yet released surveillance video of the robbery.
About the Author
