2 Port Royal store clerks held at gunpoint Monday in Ribaut Road robbery, police say

A robbery at a Port Royal gas station Wednesday afternoon that resulted in a convenience store clerk being rushed to the hospital with gunshot wounds is the second armed robbery in the area this week, police say.

Officers responded to the first robbery at 9:17 a.m. Monday at a Dollar General on Ribaut Road, a Port Royal Police Department report said. When officers arrived, they learned that the robber had left with $372 in cash from the register. The man, who employees described as being between 19 and 25 years old and wearing blue jeans and a blue hoodie, entered the store just seven minutes before police got there.

The two employees in the store told police that the man walked around for a few minutes until other customers had left, then asked the assistant manager to help him find the right size baby diapers. When they were ringing him up, they said he pulled out a black Glock handgun and demanded money from the two registers. He took only cash and refused to take any coins, the report said. The employees told them the man was Black, approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed between 165 and 180 pounds.

Around 5 p.m. Wednesday, officers were called to a Parker’s gas station, also on Ribaut Road, after a clerk was shot multiple times, according to the Port Royal Police Department’s call log. The suspected shooter left in the direction of the City of Beaufort before police arrived. The clerk was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment. As of Thursday, police did not have an update on any injuries.

In a statement from the department, police said the shooter was described as a Black male in dark pants, a blue sweatshirt and wearing a “COVID type” face mask while armed with a handgun. Officers from Port Royal, the Beaufort Police Department and Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the shooting.

“There is currently no threat to the public at this time,” the statement said.

In an emailed statement, Parker’s said the company is devastated by the armed robbery and is working with police to identify the suspect. The company will also be contributing a $10,000 reward in addition to the $1,000 being offered by the police department.

“Parker’s is also providing support to the injured team member and his family,” the company said in the statement. “The safety and wellbeing of our associates remains our highest priority. We encourage everyone to keep our team member in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”

Both armed robbery investigations are ongoing. Capt. John Griffith from the Port Royal Police Department did not return multiple messages from a reporter seeking comment Thursday.