"Hoping that he pulls through:" Employee shot at Bouchards as two armed suspects robbed the store



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee police say an employee of Bouchards was shot during an armed robbery that occurred on Tuesday afternoon, November 18th.

Bouchards, a clothing and shoe store, is located in the 2400 block of N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. shortly after noon.

Police say two armed suspects entered the business, and the employee was shot during the course of the armed robbery.

"You heard a loud, real loud 'boom.' It sounded like there was a war going on next door," Eddie Parr, who is a manager at Cricket Wireless next door said.

Cricket shares a wall with Bouchards. Parr says he was working the register at Cricket when he heard gunshots.

"When I walked outside I looked in the store and I see my guy laying on the floor -- looked like he was fighting for his life," Parr said.

The employee, a 36-year-old man, was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. He is expected to survive.

"It was devastating to see something like that happen to somebody who you see on a regular basis -- especially somebody cool like him. I'm just hoping that he pulls through and he's alright," Parr said.

Police say the suspects fled from the scene in a vehicle -- and police are seeking them.

Sandra Wright works two doors down from Bouchards.

"It scares you. It worries me. It's like what lengths are they willing to get whatever they're trying to get -- money, whatever. It could have been anyone, I feel," Wright said.

Bouchards is the store where a suspected burglar fell through the roof in July of 2014. Police found another man hiding in the ceiling.

"It's horrible man. It makes you lock the doors a little bit earlier. Nobody deserves to die over shoes or clothes or nothing. That's so petty. The value of life should be worth a lot more than that," Parr said.