Police Believe Gun Used in People’s Choice Robbery Was a Fake

Police said Thursday that they believed the gun used by the suspect in a on West Middle Turnpike late Wednesday night may have been fake.

At around 10 p.m. Wednesday evening, a black male entered the store at 179 W. Middle Tpke. with three employees inside and began to fire shots into the store’s ceiling tiles, according to the Manchester Police Department. The three employees were able to flee the store without harm, and the suspect then fled the scene. Police were unable to locate the suspect in the vicinity early Thursday morning.

Lt. Chris Davis of the Manchester Police Department said Thursday afternoon that it now appeared the gun was fake, since police were unable to find any shell casings or bullet holes anywhere in the store.

“It may have been a cap gun or starter pistol,” Davis said.

Davis said the suspect also did not take anything.

The store’s video surveillance camera was malfunctioning at the time, so it did not record an image of the suspect. Davis said the suspect was about 5 feet 3 inches tall, young, skinny and wearing a puffy black winter coat and a red bandana over part of his face.

Anyone with any information on the suspect is asked to call the Manchester Police Department at 860-645-5500.