HOUSTON – A customer was shot Wednesday while trying to stop a robbery at a pawn shop in southwest Houston, according to police.

The shooting was reported about 7:50 p.m. at the EZ Pawn on Bellaire Boulevard at Mullins Drive.

According to Houston police, two customers and an employee were inside the store when two armed people walked in and announced a robbery. One of the customers -- later identified as Austin Michael Thomerson -- who was also armed, intervened and was shot in the chest, police said. The two robbers fled the scene, police said.

Thomerson was critically injured and transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Authorities were searching the area for the pair of robbers.

According to a news release, the gunmen are “described only as two black males in their early to mid-20s. One was wearing a white jacket with a gray hood, blue sweatpants, white shoes and a black mask. The other was wearing a gray hoodie, a red mask, white pants and white shoes.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.