Police: Would-be robber shot by Southside Metro PCS employee

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A would-be robber was shot Wednesday evening by an employee at a Metro PCS store on the Southside, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Lt. Dash said it happened around 5:30 p.m. at the location on Sunbeam Road in between Hood Road South and Philips Highway. During the attempted robbery, investigators said the would-be robber, later identified as Kareem Cropper, 46, was shot twice and ran from the store.

Brian Alvarenga, a barber at the nearby Kut Kingz Barbershop, said he was cutting someone's hair when an employee of the Metro PCS knocked on his window, saying he shot a man who tried to rob him.

"He (the clerk) said, 'This guy just tried to rob me over the counter. He tried to stab me with a knife over the counter. So I backed up, and I shot him,'" Alvarenga said.

Alvarenga said he and his co-workers rushed outside, where he said they saw the suspect in a nearby parking lot.

"It was a man shot on the ground, and he was by his car, and he looked like he was trying to get away," Alvarenga said.

Police said Cropper was taken to a hospital for treatment.


About the Authors:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.