North Toledo robbery suspect shot more than 10 times

Express Carryout store in Toledo that was robbed Monday morning.

A robbery suspect who was killed in an exchange of gunfire with a carryout clerk Monday as police say he and another man tried to rob the North Toledo business, was shot more than 10 times, authorities said.

Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said the autopsy she did Tuesday shows that Lamar Allen, 25, whose last known address is 1029 Bronson Ave., was shot more than 10 times in the head, in the chest, and in the extremities. Most of the inflicted wounds were fatal, she said.

Allen was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 9:45 a.m. Monday at the Express Carryout, 1920 Mulberry St. Toledo police Tuesday identified the clerk and shooter as Abu-Karish of North Toledo.

The coroner’s office has not issued an official ruling on the death. The incident remains under investigation, however, authorities are continuing to treat it as a case of self-defense, Toledo Police Sgt. Joe Heffernan said Tuesday.

Police said that the gunfire occurred between the clerk and Allen shortly after the two suspects entered the store and started emptying the cash register of money.

Police on Tuesday released security camera footage, which shows two men wearing hooded jackets enter the store separately. The video goes on to show one of the men — the suspect who remains at-large — directing an unsuspecting female customer who entered the store into a back room while the robbery and gunfire exchange between the other two men was occurring, Sergeant Heffernan said. That customer, who remains unidentified, was not injured, he said.

Seconds later, the video shows the second suspect re-emerge from the back, fire his gun toward the area where police say the other two men were, and then flee out the front door and run away.

Police are not speculating on who fired the first shot.

The clerk, whose age was not released by police, was uninjured but shaken, Toledo police said. No one answered the door at his residence Tuesday.

Police were looking for public help in identifying the second suspect involved, who authorities say was wearing a light grey, hooded jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

— Mike Sigov