2 Teens Fatally Shot While Robbing Gresham Liquor Store

By Mae Rice in News on Jan 11, 2016 7:02PM

Z&S, via Google Streetview

Two teenage boys, at least one of them armed, were shot and killed Saturday night while attempting to rob a Gresham liquor store in the 1300 block of West 87th Street, authorities say. A male store employee fatally shot both of them.

The two teenagers arrived at the store, which reporters have identified as Z&S Food & Liquor, at 8 p.m., police said. They “announced a robbery,” according to police, and at least one offender showed he had a handgun, at which point the employee shot them.

Though officials haven’t released the deceased teens' names yet, the Sun-Times and Tribune both identified them as 15-year-old Keshawn Marzette and 17-year-old William Larson. (Police, however, say the unnamed teens were ages 15 and 18.)

The Tribune’s reporting paints a vivid picture of the shooting’s aftermath. According to the paper, a gripping photo of the aftermath of the shooting began making the rounds on social media, and by the time police showed up at the liquor store, a group of people had gathered nearby:

Someone at the liquor store in the immediate aftermath of the shooting had taken a photo of the two bodies: one whose face is visible, eyes and mouth open; another in blood-spattered jeans next to a thick pool of blood. A gun lies on a mat next to racks of pork rinds and bottled water.

The photo was posted to social media and spread quickly, attracting a group of people to the sidewalk next to the store's parking lot.

When some police personnel came out of the building, a few bystanders crossed the police tape to approach them.

“Where were y’all at?” yelled one man.

That's when someone showed Larson's mother the photo. Her face crumpled, and she began to cry.

Area South detectives are currently investigating, but a police spokesperson said, “We do not believe charges are likely in this instance.” No one was arrested at the scene.

In 2011, during another attempted robbery at the same store, a robber was killed in a struggle for a gun, a clerk was injured, and a second robber escaped with cash, the Tribune reports.