7-Eleven Customer Shoots Hatchet-Swinging Attacker Dead: Reports

A man who burst into a Washington 7-Eleven with a hatchet, swinging away at the store's clerk, was shot dead by a customer who comes in every day for a cup of coffee, according to multiple local media reports.

At around 5:45 a.m. Sunday, a man came in to the 7-Eleven on 8th Avenue South near White Center wielding a hatchet and started swinging, according to Q13, attacking the customer first before setting his sights on the store's clerk.

The clerk was hit in the stomach with the hatchet, then the customer pulled out his pistol and shot the assailant dead, according to Q13.

If not for the man with a gun, "This could have been a lot worse," King County Sheriff's Sergeant Cindi West told Q13. "The clerk could be the one laying there dead on the floor right now.”

The clerk suffered only minor injuries in the attack.

The attacker remained silent during the incident, according to Q13, and the customer is unlikely to face charges since the shooting was justified and he had a concealed carry permit.

"The customer's a nice guy,” an unnamed worker at the store told Q13. “He’s been coming here for about 12 years. He buys scratch tickets in the morning time. He buys coffee. He's a good guy.”

Patch has reached out to the King County Sheriff's Office for more information, and we'll let you know when we hear back.