A manhunt for suspects is underway after a Dollar General clerk was shot during a robbery in Birmingham's Five Points West.

The male employee was shot in the chest, according to police reports, and was taken to a local hospital right away. The most recent information regarding his condition is unknown, and his injuries are deemed life-threatening.

It was gloomy outside the shop. More than a dozen evidence markers were positioned on the pavement by investigators as mute witnesses to the recent upheaval. The store was surrounded by yellow crime scene tape that stretched across multiple nearby blocks and blew in the evening breeze. As police attempted to secure the area and start the search for the culprits, flashing blue lights cast an unsettling glow over the streets.

Desperate for updates on their loved ones locked inside during the situation, family members of employees stood just beyond the line, some pacing, others paralyzed in worry.

The robbery that culminated into a shooting may have involved two suspects, according to the police. At 9 p.m., officers were vigorously searching the neighborhood, but no arrests had been made. Although Sgt. LaQuitta Wade would not elaborate on suspect descriptions or possible motivations, she did confirm that a manhunt was in progress.

The area, which is already struggling financially and with the burden of ongoing gun violence, has been rocked by the massacre. According to locals, the victim was a good-hearted and diligent person who always smiled when greeting clients, even during lengthy shifts.

The business is still closed and its fluorescent lights are still shining behind barred glass doors as detectives try to piece together what happened. It is a chilling reminder of a typical workday that devolved into a nightmare.

It is recommended that anyone with information get in touch with Crime Stoppers or Birmingham police. The neighborhood is now waiting for some justice as well as answers.