Gunman sought after gas station clerk is shot

Authorities say an armed robber is on the run after shooting a clerk at a gas station.  That clerk is now recovering at the hospital.

The shooting happened around 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Citgo on East Colonial Drive.   Orange County deputies say a man dressed in black, from head to toe, went inside with a gun and hopped the counter.  He demanded cash from the clerk, and while that clerk was getting the money, another clerk came up behind the suspect and tried to bash him on the head with a bottle, according to deputies.  The suspect was not knocked out though, and deputies say he turned around shot the clerk in the chest and then took off. 

Deputies say the suspect went running down on Lake Picket and they believe he got into a car and drove away. 

The clerk, a 58-year-old man, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but he was upgraded to stable condition just before 10 p.m.  The owner said the injured clerk had been an employee at the store for 12 years and that he is "like family."

Deputies are wrapping up their investigation but continue to search for that gunman.  Anyone with information is asked to called the Orange County Sheriff's Office or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).