Two Employees Injured In Convenience Store Shooting

Robin Martinek

Contributor

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On January 5, 2008, in Gaston County, two employees of a "mom and pop" convenience store were shot when an armed individual came in shooting in a violent robbery attempt as the two were closing the store. The shooting left the couple in critical condition.

While the 16-year old alleged assailant was arrested within days of the shooting, his capture does not help the two employees victimized by this violent event. When they leave the hospital and begin the long-road to recovery, they will face mounting medical bills, lost wages and perhaps life-long disabilities.

While this potentially deadly shooting surprised the owners and family members of the two, robberies of small convenience stores are too often an occurrence in North Carolina. According to a study reviewing homicides in workplaces in North Carolina between 1994 and 1998, convenience stores had the highest number of employee fatalities.

Workplace homicides are the second leading cause of death amount employees in the United States. While the majority of employee homicides are related to robberies, work-place disputes and domestic violence also account for a large number of the workplace homicides.

Given the dangers of workplace homicides, business owners can make the short-term investments to provide security for their employees or the long-term costs of compensating families for lost family members and life-long medical treatment and care.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Workers Compensation.