ELLENTON, Fla. — Manatee County deputies are asking for the public's help to find two suspects involved in an attempted armed robbery at the Ellenton Premium Outlets.
Detectives say at around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, two men wearing masks and blue Fed-Ex-style shirts entered the Gold Palace Jewelry store with at least one handgun.
One suspect reportedly shot a round towards the back of the store while approaching an employee, but the bullet did not hit anybody.
A different employee took out another gun and shot towards the suspects, but missed, deputies say. The two then left the store and ran towards the parking lot.
MCSO says an off-duty deputy was at the mall at the time and responded to the store minutes after hearing the gunshots. He secured the store to make sure no one was injured before attempting to chase the suspects.
The deputy gathered new information about the suspects' description before they drove away in what was reportedly a silver Toyota Highlander.
No injuries were reported and nothing was taken from the jewelry store following the robbery attempt. However, detectives say EMS was called for someone inside the store who was having a medical episode following the incident.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at (941) 747-3011. You can also remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward by contacting Manatee County Crime Stoppers at (866) 634-8477 (TIPS) or on their website.