Cashier draws gun during dispute at East Akron store; bystander in critical condition

Latest update:Akron store clerk charged in Sept. 1 shooting that led to bystander's death

A bystander in an East Akron convenience store was hospitalized in critical condition Thursday night after another customer got into a dispute with the store's cashier, who drew a gun that somehow discharged, according to police.

Police responded around 9:15 p.m. to the store in the 800 block of Lovers Lane and said the cashier reported having a dispute with a customer over incorrect change. Police said the cashier told them the dispute escalated when the man made threats to kill her and began damaging the store, throwing items at the cashier and trying to grab her through the plexiglass divider.

During the altercation, the cashier pulled out a handgun, which discharged, police said.

The bullet struck an uninvolved customer inside the store in the upper body. The victim, 48, was rushed to nearby Summa Akron City Hospital, where he was in critical condition Friday.

The customer involved in the dispute with the cashier, Andre Lee, 34, fled the store after the shooting but was later taken into custody after detectives traced him back to an address in the 800 block of Bertha Avenue.

Lee and the cashier were transported separately to the police station for questioning.

Lee was also wanted on warrants, including a warrant out of Summit County Common Pleas Court following a felony burglary conviction, as well as a warrant on a charge of escape out of Akron Municipal Court. He was charged with aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The shooting and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. The clerk’s handgun was recovered at the scene.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cashier draws gun at East Akron store, bystander in critical condition