A 27-year-old Bessemer convenience store clerk was shot to death during a holdup early today.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Trenton James Way. He was from Dolomite.

Bessemer police were dispatched between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. to the Kangaroo Express at 580 14th Street on a robbery in progress, said Bessemer police Deputy Chief Mike Roper. When they arrived on the scene, they found the store clerk behind the counter.

The clerk had been shot at least twice, and was pronounced dead on the scene. Coroner's officials said the shooting at happened at 1:32 a.m. Way was pronounced dead at 1:45 a.m.

Roper said there were also shots fired outside of the store, but it doesn't appear anyone else was struck. They are trying to determine why the shots were fired outside as well.

There were no customers inside the store at the time of the holdup. Roper said investigators are trying to pull surveillance video. The investigation is ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available.

Updated at 8:56 a.m. with the identity of the victim.