Special to The Messenger

Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies were searching for three suspects Tuesday who robbed a county convenience store at gunpoint.

At about 6 p.m. two young, black males brandishing handguns ran into the Wagon Wheel store off County Road 1 near the Shellhorn community.

"One approached the male clerk (Reynolds Messick) and the second suspect went over to a female customer and held her at gunpoint," said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas.

The first suspect demanded money from the store manager, Messick, who gave them an undisclosed amount of cash.

Messick said the two suspects fled on foot.

"They were young," Messick said. "And there must have been three of them."

Witnesses said the suspects ran a short distance west on County Road 1 before apparently meeting up with a third accomplice driving a yellow or gold-colored vehicle.

Messick came out of the store and fired a few rounds at the suspects’ car, witnesses said.

A neighbor pursued the suspects a short distance down County Road 1 before the suspects lost him.

Thomas said deputies were continuing to search for the car and had alerted authorities in neighboring counties in case the suspects fled.

"Anyone with information about this is asked to call us," he said. "A cash reward may be available."

Neither Messick nor the female patron were physically injured, though the woman said she was shaken by having a gun pointed at her head.

Thomas said investigators were also still working on the weekend robbery of Paul’s Grocery in the Henderson community.

In that crime, suspects allegedly entered the building after shattering a glass at the front of the business. The robbery occurred either late Friday night or early Saturday morning, Thomas said.

"They stole an undetermined amount of beer and cigarettes," Thomas said.