ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A north St. Louis County woman's trip to Wellston food market last Friday was anything but routine.
She asked us to not show her face.
"I am very sick of it. It's frightening, that's all I can tell you,“ she told 5 On Your Side’s Robert Townsend.
She said just as she was about to step back inside the store, she got caught in a hail of gunfire.
"I had opened the door, but that's when he came and knocked me into the door frame,” said the woman.
Police said several men got into a shootout in the store's parking lot.
They said a man who tried to rob another guy of his AR-15 style rifle got shot and suffered critical injuries.
The robber's now facing charges.
This innocent shopper broke a finger and suffered a minor head injury when the bleeding robber knocked her down.
"I was close to him just as I am close to you,” she said to Townsend.
When asked how thankful she was to survive, she said, “I am very grateful."
"We've tried to stop the violence. We’ve instituted patrols and a lot of ideas. We’ve instituted talks with the proprietor,” said Assistant Police Chief Ron Martin with the North County Police Cooperative.
In the past two years, officers with the North County Police Cooperative have responded to 600 calls at the market on Page Avenue.
In June of 2019, the department's own, Officer Michael Langsdorf was shot and killed at the market while investigating a bad check incident.
"We're calling on the proprietor, we're calling on community leaders, we're calling on residents, business owners in the area if we can all come to the table, come up with a solution," Martin said.
"We have been patient," said Wellston’s Mayor Nathaniel Griffin.
Wellston's frustrated mayor said his community won't have peace until this store is permanently closed.
"That still goes through counsel. That still goes through litigation. All those things have to add up to be able to see it done, but again we have to do what's necessary to protect our citizens," Griffin said.
5 On Your Side’s Robert Townsend stopped by the Wellston Food Market to try to talk to its owner.
As of Wednesday night, he had not heard back.
In the meantime, police are still looking for two suspects in connection with the shootout.