Gas station clerk dies after being shot during robbery in Smyrna

SMYRNA, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Smyrna gas station store clerk is dead after he was shot during an early morning armed robbery on Tuesday.

The clerk was identified as Nick Patterson, an employee with Twice Daily for Nine years, that’s according to Tri Star Energy, the parent company of Twice Daily.

“When I found out it was Nick, the ground just broke beneath me. Knowing it was someone that I knew and I liked and loved so much. It’s devastating,” said Isabella Oliver who said she was a frequent customer at the store.

“He was just amazing, I just can’t believe it happened at all. And it had to happen to him. I want his family to know I am thinking about them,” said Brianna Rorer.

Smyrna Police said a man in a black hooded sweatshirt Pointed a handgun at the store clerk, demanded money from the register and then shot the clerk and left the scene.

The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries where he later died.

Customers who visit the store regularly described Patterson as always happy and a beautiful soul.

The gas station on Stonecrest Parkway was closed all day on Tuesday. But that didn’t stop some people from stopping by the gas station to pay their respects to the employee who lost his life, before they even knew his name

“Very familiar with them. Been going there for years. It’s just our store because we live close to it. It’s just the store we go to. And it hurt listening to the news about why someone had to shoot somebody,” said Lance Selva.

The shooting at this gas station bothered Lance Selva and Laura MacDermott and it wasn’t just because of the where it happened

“They were so genuinely nice,” said Laura MacDermott of the staff at the Twice Daily. MacDermott said she is a regular at the gas station.

“There’ll be certain days where nobody else is in there and you’re chatting with them,” Selva said.

That’s they both dropped off flowers at the doors to the store.

“And if it’s who I think it was, he was exceptionally nice and was very personable. if he learned your name, he always called you by your name,” MacDermott said.

Some who live and work in the area were surprised it happened in this community

“I was here yesterday morning, with my friend walking. And now I am in shock that this happened so close to where I usually walk; and in my community,” said Maria Vacquez.

“And you live around the corner and something like that could happen to someone who has become your friend because he was everyone’s friend,” said MacDermott. “The loss of life and people aren’t respecting life anymore and the right to live. It’s just a sad situation,” she added.

Isabella Oliver said she knew Patterson from her frequent visits to the store and said she last saw him about a month ago. She along with Brianna Rorer shared their fondest memories of Patterson.

“One time he went to Chicago and was asking if he can bring me back anything and I thought that was so sweet. He really cared about people,” said Brianna Rorer.

“First interaction I had with him actually, I was wearing my TriStar Stonecrest shirt and he said, oh you work at Stonecrest? I said yea, he said you can have a free coffee,” Oliver said.

The parent company of the Twice Daily sent this statement to WSMV 4 about the incident:

Detectives with SPD are looking for a black male who was wearing the aforementioned hoodie, blue jeans, black shoes, and a black Chicago Bulls hat.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Smyrna Police at 615-267-5146.

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