DELRAY BEACH, Florida - July 4, 2010 - A man who tried to rob a convenience store at gunpoint ended up being killed by the store clerk Saturday night, according to police.

The apparent robber, who has not been identified, ran into the Community Food Market at 139 Northwest Fifth Ave. around 10 p.m. and tried to rob the store, according to a police report.

A clerk saw the man with the gun and ducked behind the counter before the robber started shooting at the clerk. The clerk grabbed a gun from behind the counter and returned fire, hitting the robber.

After the shootout, the clerk ran from the store and called 911, according to the report. Police found the would-be robber lying on the ground in front of the store still clutching a semiautomatic handgun in his right hand. He had been shot once in the chest.

The man was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died.

The clerk, who was not injured, was questioned but was not taken into custody, said Delray Beach police spokesman Jeff Messer.

Messer said police are investigating to see if the man is connected to any other unsolved robberies in the city.