PITTSBURGH — It was right before noon on Thursday when the Keystone Vapors shop in Shadyside was robbed. The store clerk and two customers were inside when the robbers pulled out a gun and pepper-sprayed the worker.
“They look like under 21, like tall and whenever they come inside, they have a mask,” said Keystone Vapors employee Fahed Rizvi.
Riszvi said, “One guy came inside right away and he had a backpack and he tried to show that he had some kind of gun.”
While Riszvi wasn’t the clerk behind the counter on Thursday, he says what happened to his colleague here has also happened to him.
“It’s happened multiple times and this store I think it’s the second time or third time and they are the same kids,” he said.
Riszvi says the store has safety features meant to prevent this. Each customer has to show ID before having the door unlocked.
Riszvi says that on Thursday, the robbers had a plan. They reportedly had one man, who wasn’t wearing a mask, get the clerk to open the door.
He said, “He looked like he’s a real, nice guy but he was like with them, the whole group.”
Riszvi says that man held the door open while the others barged into the South Highland Avenue store.
He explained, “He opened the door and these three, four guys were standing right behind the door. They came right away because the door was open.”
He reportedly tried closing the door but that didn’t work.
“They tried to push the door open and he tried to lock the door with the security lock, but he could not,” Riszvi said.
Things got so intense, the glass from a display case shattered, cutting the employee’s arm.
The thieves did get away with some merchandise. Pittsburgh Police have not said if they have any suspects in custody.
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