Josiah Destin

The Republic | azcentral.com

The man who was shot and killed by a customer while attempting to rob a north Phoenix drugstore was identified Wednesday as 30-year-old Stephen Holguin, officials said.

The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at a Walgreens in the 3400 block of West Union Hills Drive, Sgt. Jonathan Howard said.

Responding officers found about a dozen workers and customers hiding in the store from an armed robber who was still inside, Howard said.

"When they (officers) arrived, they found a scene that was full of chaos,'' he said.

Holguin had pulled out a gun and jumped the pharmacy counter, pointing the weapon at people and demanding oxycodone from the pharmacist, Howard said.

A customer who was in the store and armed with a gun shot Holguin, Howard said.

Howard said Wednesday police interviewed the shooter, who was released. He added police were withholding his identity at the man's request and that he was declining media interviews Wednesday.

After arriving at the drugstore, officers got everyone out of the store and found Holguin, who was still armed but wounded, Howard said. A police dog was used to pull the man from his gun, Howard said, adding that the man had a second gun.

Police administered CPR to Holguin, but he died at the scene.

Janice Gordon-Caddy said she arrived at the store about 6:45 p.m., as the incident was still unfolding.

“I saw the workers from the pharmacy running out with their hands raised in the air. They were crying and screaming,’’ she said.

“Next thing I know, the SWAT team and all the police officers and everybody (is) going in with their guns; it was just a madhouse,’’ she added. “That probably would have been much worse if there hadn’t been a customer in there armed.”

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