A would-be robber was shot during a gas station robbery Friday morning in west Houston, according to police.

The suspect walked into the Shell station in the 11400 block of Richmond Avenue around 7 a.m., pulled a pistol and demanded money from the cashier, according to police. The clerk complied with the suspect and started cleaning out the register, at which point the suspect became distracted with a set of lottery tickets behind the counter, police said.

With the suspect's attention away from him, the clerk pulled a pistol of his own and started shooting at the gunman, police said. The robbery suspect was struck at least once, police said.

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The suspect was never able to return fire. Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department rushed him to a nearby hospital in an unknown condition, police said.

Officers recovered a revolver pistol outside the store. The gunfire also shattered the front glass door to the building.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com