An employee of a Whittier liquor store fatally shot a man suspected of trying to rob the business Monday night.

A second man suspected in what police said was an attempted robbery fled the scene.

Coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter said the dead man has not been identified but described him as a black man between 25 and 35 years old.

Whittier police Sgt. Willie Lawson said the store clerk was not injured during the suspected attempted robbery that took place around 10 p.m. at Bottle House Liquor, 6018 Norwalk Blvd.

Whittier police spokesman Officer John Scoggins said two men entered the store wearing hooded sweatshirts and with their faces partially covered. The clerk told police he saw at least one of the men had a handgun.

The clerk produced his own handgun.

“There was an exchange of gunfire,” Scoggins said. He didn’t know if the suspects said anything before the shooting.

One man took off. The second man was wounded and died inside the store, according to Scoggins.

He said officers have not recovered the gun used by the robbers, but there was evidence they fired a weapon.

The clerk or the store manager could not be reached for comment on Tuesday morning.

Police described the robber who fled the scene as a black man approximately 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing between 160 to 180 pounds. He wore a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and had a bandanna or some material partially covering his face, according to Scoggins.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Bolanos at 562-567-9281 or the Whittier police crime tip line at 562-567-9299.