Man Shot In Chest During Attempted Smoke Shop Robbery In Nearby Fairfield

SOLANO COUNTY, CA -- A man was shot in the chest and is in critical condition after he attempted to rob a business in Fairfield on Sunday afternoon, according to police.

Police said offers responded to a smoke shop in the 2100 block of North Texas Street at 12:40 p.m. May 14 on reports of a man yielding a gun. As officers were responding, a call came in that a man inside the store had been shot.

Upon arrival, officers say they found the man lying on the floor and bleeding from the chest. They immediately performed first aid to him until emergency personnel arrived and took him to a hospital.

Police said several witnesses told officers that the suspect entered the store wearing a mask, then pulled a gun from his waistband and attempted to rob the place. The store's clerk, fearing for his life, pulled out his own gun and shot the suspect in the chest, police say.

Officers recovered the suspect's gun, which turned out to be a realistic-looking BB gun, police said.

According to police, detectives were called to the scene to interview witnesses and the store clerk won't face any charges at this time because his gun was legally possessed and he shot the suspect in self-defense.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Getty Images