Officials: Man killed in Wauconda robbery carrying BB gun
The would-be robber who was shot four times and killed by a clerk in a Wauconda convenience store was identified as an Ingleside man and the weapon he was carrying was a BB gun, authorities said Tuesday.
Justin Greenenwald, 30, was shot in the right chest, right hip, left hip and the rear of the left leg during the robbery of the Kwick Shop liquor and convenience store at 112 E. Liberty St., just after 9 p.m. Sunday, Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd said.
Rudd said he was told by police Greenenwald was hit by bullets fired from a .40-caliber gun. Police would not confirm the size of the weapon, saying that information could compromise the investigation.
Greenenwald was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:42 p.m., Rudd said.
A preliminary toxicology screening came back positive, Rudd said and added that a sample was sent for more analysis and it would take three weeks to get the results.
Greenenwald has a Lake County arrest record that includes charges of theft, domestic battery and possession of a controlled substance dating to 2003. He was released on parole in August 2014 from the Illinois Department of Corrections after serving less than three years of a nine-year sentence for aggravated robbery in 2011. He was due to be on parole from that charge until August 2016.
Attempts to reach Greenenwald's family members were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Police said Greenenwald was wearing a mask when he entered the Kwick Shop, pointed a handgun at a customer and clerk, then demanded money.
Wauconda Police Chief Patrick Yost said the 44-year-old customer ran out of the store and to a neighboring business to call 911. At the same time, the Kwick Shop clerk reached under a cash register for a handgun and shot Greenenwald, authorities said.
The employee, 24-year-old Ahmad Samhan, was not at the store Tuesday and probably would not be back at work any time soon, his older brother, Jawad Samhan said.
He said Ahmad Samhan did not want to talk to anyone about the shooting and was struggling to deal with what had happened.
"We're keeping him away from here," Jawad Samhan said. "He needs his family right now. I don't even want to be here, but we have to take care of the business."
Jawad Samhan said he wished the shooting never happened.
"But it was either the robber's life or my brother's," he added.
Police have not said how many shots Ahmad Samhan fired.
Officers arrived about the time Samhan called 911 to report the shooting, authorities said.
He had a valid Firearm Owners Identification card, authorities said. A preliminary review by police and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office indicated his actions were justified, officials have said.
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said he is waiting for the final report from Wauconda Police before making a final determination on whether charges should be filed against Samhan. Nerheim said he expects to have that report Wednesday.
Wauconda Deputy Police Chief Thomas Bender said the investigation remains open and Samhan has been cooperative with police.
"The clerk has been cooperative throughout the process, and always open to talk with us," Bender said. "As I've said before, it does not appear that he did anything wrong."