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UPDATED: Shots Fired in Armed Robbery at Granite Gulf

Milford and State Police are investigating an armed robbery at Granite Gulf. Shots were fired at an attendant, but no one was injured. The robber fled on foot.

 

An armed robber fired a handgun at an attendant twice inside Granite Gulf Wednesday night, in a robbery of the service station. The employee was not injured, said Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin.

The robber, whose face was obscured with a scarf, fled on foot into the woods near Art's Towing. Milford and State Police searched that area with a police dog, but lost the trail.

The robbery was reported shortly after 7 p.m., when the service station was open for business and had customers at the gas pumps. The robber entered the office, and demanded cash from the attendant, O'Loughlin said.

The employee didn't immediately turn over any money, and instead entered the service bay area, where his boss was working, the police chief said. At that time, the robber fired one shot. Once inside the service bay area, the robber fired off a second round from the gun. Several employees were in that area of the business at the time. None was injured.

The suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was described by witnesses as a white male, 6 foot to 6'2'' tall, thin build, dark hair. He was alone in the business, O'Loughlin said, but may have had an accomplice. He also was wearing blue surgical gloves when he entered the business.

The armed robbery in Milford is thought to be related to another robbery reported shortly before, at a Medway service station. In that incident, a man entered the business and demanded cash from an attendant, but the attendant disarmed him, O'Loughlin said. The weapon turned out to be an airsoft pellet gun.

"He grabbed it right out of his hands," O'Loughlin said, of the Medway robbery.

The two crimes are thought to be related based on the desciption of the events, and the timing, the police chief said.

At the Granite Gulf, the bullet from the first shot landed in the men's room, while the casing was in the women's room. Police were searching for the second bullet and other evidence inside the service bay Wednesday night, and the scene was being processed by State Police. Employees who were witnesses were being interviewed by Milford detectives.

Milford has had several armed robberies but this is the first in at least 18 months in which a suspect fired a weapon. Milford had eight robberies reported in 2011, according to statistics provided to the FBI.

Related Topics: Armed Robbery, Granite Gulf, and Milford Police

MrMilford

11:43 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I hope that some of those gas profits were invested in some decent security cameras and that this very dangerous person is removed from our streets soon.

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fred

7:31 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

Gas stations profit very little from fuel sales its mostly locally and federally taxed . It's good your happy everyone was okay Mr . Milford smh

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Mark Cain

7:31 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

Gas profits? More money is made from gas taxes than from the Guy who owns the little gas station.

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Digger

9:16 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

Glad everyone is OK. I don't believe surveillance would yield much. Guy had his face covered and left on foot. My guess after his little hike through the woods, he hopped into a car and jumped on 495. I don't think it's this guy's first heist. The problem is now he has got a gun and he has fired it. Another guess, he will do this again. I pray this crack head doesn't hurt someone in the process.

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Patrick Waterman

9:35 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

I guarantee this is some perc fiend loser from Medway.

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Milford Senior Man

9:47 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

It's a blessing no one was hurt or killed. This guy needs to be caught and taken off the streets. He showed he's not afraid to use a gun. I pray the police catch him.

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Susan Harvey

10:12 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

I thought (was told) the 4 state & 2 Milford police cars at the top of Dilla last night was connected to this. Three guys were being arrested. Mary, do you know what that was about?

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Mary MacDonald

12:18 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

Hi Susan, no I don't know what that was about... The police chief emailed this morning that there was no new information/arrests to report in the armed robbery.

MrMilford

10:35 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012

@fred...of course I'm glad about that, sorry that I need to type that just to make a point and that you interpret that trite phrase as indicating I'm not happy......my point was simple...I hope that good cameras play a role in solving the case and removing this dangerous scum from our streets. I said that comment though because that gas station's prices are typically much higher than surrounding ones...by allot typically...so its obvious they price gauge and take advantage of their location...so hopefully they reinvest in the security and protection of their employee's who handle cash and are easy targets to criminal scum. Shake your head now.

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Debbie

7:43 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

this station's prices are controlled by the Gulf company, they make very little profit on gas

lisa

12:08 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

they do not price gauge the town of milford has to pay pumpers and that is why the gas is more expensive in our town due to laws no self serve and when you are a small gas station ownere that is 8bucks an hr. for pumpers.

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Remember When

5:10 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

The gas profits go to the gas/oil prophets at BIg Oil, Mobil/Exxon, Shell, BP, etc. The little guy who sells it make pennies per gallon, but more from salable items in store, butts & lottos, and repair work. They pay high rent & taxes.

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MrMilford

8:48 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

We're getting off track here...I think we are ALL happy the victims are ok, and that we ALL wish that the criminals are caught very very soon.

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MrMilford

8:48 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

@lisa http://www.worcestergasprices.com/Milford/index.aspx Within the town of Milford, Granite Gulf is typically more expense than other gas stations on the same day. 14 cents/per gallon higher. They are almost always 10-15 cents higher than other stations in Milford. (They are $3.63 today, BP is 3.49) They "gauge" because of their location near to 495. Motorists who get off, get gas, are not going all over town to find cheaper gas, so Gulf (and Mobil) they take advantage of that. As prices of gas have dropped all across MA (avg $3.55) http://www.massachusettsgasprices.com/Retail_Price_Chart.aspx. I see gas stations drop their prices in sync...Granite Gulf (and Mobil) do not do this. They maintain a higher price as they know they can get away with it, due to the demand for easy quick gas on that exit. My comparisons are all inside Milford, so its apples to apples comparison.

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Mary MacDonald

9:08 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

How does this relate to a story about armed robbery again? Every gas station on a highway in America charges more. I always thought this was supply and demand. They have a prime spot, and can charge more for the convenience of highway travelers who want to get off and on. Gauging is in times of shortage, jacking up a price because people have no other choice. There are plenty of gas stations in town.

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Grace hart

9:58 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012

Sorry but Miss Kaye is not a manager at gulf she has know idea what she is taking about she is just a worker at arts towing!!!

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Debbie

7:43 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

@ Grace, she knows far more about the Gulf than you realize. She has worked for the company for many years

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