17-year-old kills store clerk trying to stop him from shoplifting, TN cops say

A store clerk confronted a 17-year-old shoplifting, then the teen pulled out a gun and fatally shot him, Tennessee law enforcement said.

The teen, whose name wasn’t released, has now been charged with first-degree murder, the Memphis Police Department said April 21.

Officers said the 17-year-old went to Sam’s Food Market at about 9 p.m. April 20 but tried to leave without paying.

The clerk tried to stop him and they began fighting over the items, then the teen shot the man several times, according to police.

First responders said they found the clerk in the parking lot, but the accused shooter was gone.

The clerk died at a hospital.

Police put out a call for information on the accused shooter, whose identity was unknown at the time, and they announced his arrest hours later.