Staff Reports

Pike County deputies continued their search Wednesday for three suspects who robbed a county convenience store at gunpoint on Tuesday.

"We worked it until shortly before midnight that night," said Sheriff Russell Thomas. "And we’re continuing to investigate today."

At about 6 p.m. Tuesday, two young, black male brandishing handguns ran into the Wagon Wheel store off County Road 1 near the Shellhorn Community.

"One approached the male clerk(Reynolds Messick) and the second suspect went over to a female customer and held her at gunpoint," Thomas said.

The first suspect demanded money from the sore manager, who gave them an

undisclosed amount of cash, beer and cigarettes. Witnesses said he two suspects fled on food and apparently ran

a short distance west on County Road 1 before apparently meeting up with a third accomplice driving a yellow or gold-colored vehicle.

Messick came out of the store and fired a few rounds at the suspects’ car, witnesses said. A neighbor pursued the suspects a short distance down County Road 1 before the suspects lost him.

Neither the store manager nor the female customer were injured.

Thomas said deputies were seeking more information about the vehicle and

suspects.

"This is close to the Crenshaw and Montgomery county lines," Thomas said, adding that the search for suspects could expand beyond Pike

County.

Thomas said deputies were continuing to search for the car and had alerted authorities in neighboring counties in case the suspects fled.

"Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call us," Thomas said. "A cash award is being offered for information."