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Employee, Customer Fight Back In Unusual Attemped Robbery

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - An employee and a customer at a wireless phone store in Wheat Ridge say they fought back when a a gunman with a loaded M-16 assault rifle tried to rob the store.

The crime happened late Thursday morning at the the Advantage Wireless store on the 3900 block of Wadsworth Boulevard.

Police say the suspect entered the store and then locked himself in.

At some point the female employee tried to stop the gunman and was injured slightly when the suspect hit her in the head with the butt of the rifle. A customer inside was also involved in trying to stop the robbery.

Two people outside the store apparently figured out what was going on and tried to barricade the door so the suspect couldn't get out. That's when the suspect began shooting. His bullets shattered the store's glass door.

A witness said a black SUV sped out of the parking lot a few moments later.

A witness told CBS4 he heard and saw some of what happened.

"We kind of just heard a really loud splatter of the glass," he said. "You just don't like it to happen around you."

Police are reviewing surveillance images and working to gather a description of what the suspect looked like. He didn't get away with any money or merchandise.

"This is very unusual," police spokeswoman Lisa Stigell said. "It's unusual that it's a wireless cell phone company, that he had a giant rifle, it's the middle of the day. So there's a lot of investigation that's going to have to take place on this one before we have some answers.

The employee refused medical treatment and stayed on duty in the store, which remained opened Thursday afternoon.

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