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Multiple people were arrested in Albemarle after a pawn shop owner was shot during an attempted armed robbery in Mount Pleasant Thursday morning, according to Chief Deputy James Bailey of the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.

Bailey said at least two suspects entered Mount Pleasant Sporting Goods and Pawn Store and one of the individuals shot the owner while trying to rob him. When the suspects were leaving, deputies said an off-duty officer saw them and used his personal weapon to return fire. One of the suspects was shot, according to Bailey.

The suspects fled, but the officer was able to get the vehicle’s tag information and found it was a rental car out of Albemarle. As law enforcement officers were heading to Stanly County, Bailey said they received word that a gunshot victim had arrived at Atrium Stanly.

Bailey called Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco to relay what had happened. His deputies quickly secured the individual at the hospital and ultimately arrested the other two suspects in a nearby neighborhood.

The injured suspect has been transported to CMC Main in Charlotte and Bailey said the pawn shop owner was transported to the hospital and is in serious but stable condition. The other two suspects have been taken to the Cabarrus County Jail.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations was contacted to conduct an investigation into the officer’s actions and the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office will conduct the investigation involving the robbery and shooting of the store owner.

The names and charges were not released as of publication.