A robbery and assault on a child led to an officer-involved shooting, Visalia police said.

Officers say the shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of Arco on Lovers Lane, just east of Highway 198.

But the incident began earlier in the day in the 500 block of East Velie Street. Several witnesses called 911 after hearing gunshots.

"(Dispatchers) were getting information of some kind of family disturbance that was occurring there," Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar said. "There were shots fired at that disturbance."

During the investigation, it was discovered that the suspect was at a party. Salazar said the suspect was intoxicated and "physically assaulted" a 7-year-old. It's unclear if the suspect and the boy were related.

When the suspect was confronted by the family, he got angry and left. As he was driving away, he fired eight to 10 rounds into the air, Salazar said.

Police began getting a description of the suspect, a young Hispanic man. Officers responded to the area — two stopped at Arco on Lovers Lane and Noble Avenue.

Police were unaware the suspect had headed that way, as well.

As patrol cars pulled into the parking lot, officers heard gunshots from inside the convenience store.

Amar Singh has worked at the AM/PM since it opened in 2006. He was working Saturday afternoon when the suspect entered the store and headed toward the cash register.

Singh said the suspect shot at the clerk twice, narrowly missing man's head. He demanded cash, Singh said. The store was "pretty packed," he added.

Everyone dropped to the ground, Singh said.

"It was really scary," he said. "Thank God no one got hurt. Innocent people are safe."

When the clerk handed over the cash, the suspect walked out. Employees immediately called 911, but police were already outside.

"At that point, they saw a male subject exit the store with a handgun in his hand and a wad of cash," Salazar said. "The subject dropped the cash and ran back into the store."

A pile of cash could be seen from the police tape keeping people out of the crime scene.

The suspect ran out of the store with police close behind. The suspect then shot at the officers, who took cover.

The officers returned fire, shooting three rounds. The suspect was shot once in the shoulder.

Salazar said the incident was captured on body-worn cameras. The footage will not be released as this is an ongoing investigation, Salazar said.

The suspect was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center. His condition wasn't given.

The suspect's name and age have also not been released. Salazar said police are still looking into the suspect's background.

When he is medically cleared, he will most likely be booked into Tulare County Pretrial Facility on suspicion of assault on a peace officer, assaulting a minor and armed robbery.

The officers' names and rank were not released by police. However, Salazar said both are veteran cops.

Visalia police will investigate the alleged crime leading up to the shooting. Tulare County Sheriff's Department will handle the officer-involved shooting portion of the case.

There at least 12 evidence markers laid out across the Arco parking lot and inside the convenience store.

The store was closed for hours while officers collected evidence.

"It's been a tough day," Singh said. "Hopefully, tomorrow is better."

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