Apple store employee shot during attempted armed robbery

An unidentified man reportedly wearing a fake beard fired at least one shot at the Apple Store Clarendon in Arlington, Virginia shortly after the store opened yesterday (July 3) morning, wounding at least one employee, according to a report from AppleInsider.

The victim, a 26-year-old woman who works at Apple in Arlington's upscale Clarendon section, is currently at an area hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. She reportedly is in serious but stable condition.

Shooting incidence
Arlington Police say that the shooting occurred about 10:15 a.m. EDT at the Arlington, Va., Apple store at 2700 Clarendon Blvd., in a busy, upscale shopping area. The male robber rang a doorbell at a back service entrance of the store, and the female employee opened the door and was shot, according to the police.

"Someone was just shot at the store and just were carted out in an ambulance. Unsure what happened but the store is closed down and there are police everywhere," AppleInsider quoted a witness as saying.

No one else injured
Customers were present in the store at the time of the shooting, but no one else was injured, Police say.

Police described the shooter as a black male between 35 and 45, with a medium build and beard. The suspect, who was wearing light-colored pants, a light-colored short sleeve shirt, and a dark baseball hat, was carrying a handgun.

The shooter fled, and a U.S. Park Police helicopter and Arlington police K-9 units conducted a sweep of the area to search the male suspect.

"We are shocked by this senseless act of violence and our thoughts are with this co-worker and her family," Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple's corporate headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., told the Washington Post. "We're working with police to catch the person who committed this act."

Investigators are now planning to release security camera footage of the shooting to aid in the search.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703-228-4242 or Detective Alan Lowrey at 703- 228-4199. Lowrey can also be contacted via e-mail at Alowrey@arlingtonva.us.