2 sought in attempted robbery at Roseville party store

Roseville police have released video of an attempted armed robbery at a party store that sparked gunfire Thursday.

Investigators are seeking tips from the public to find the two suspects filmed entering the Little Brown Jug in the 26600 block of Gratiot at about 9 p.m. wearing gloves, hooded sweatshirts and dark material covering their faces.

One of the suspects approached the cash register, where several workers were, “jumped up and stood on the counter and pointed a revolver at one of the employees,” authorities said in a statement.

A friend of the store owner — identified in preliminary reports as an employee — immediately fired one to two rounds from the gun he legally possessed, police said.

Surveillance footage released Friday shows the blast scaring off the would-be thief, who leaps backward and topples merchandise while fleeing with the other suspect through the front entrance.

They were last seen running northwest through the parking lot, heading near Wildwood, and might have fled in a vehicle, according to the police alert.

The suspect with the revolver apparently dropped the weapon while running off and was not injured by the store visitor’s gunshot as investigators initially believed, officials said Friday.

A K-9 search failed to find the pair.

Detailed descriptions of the suspects and a possible getaway car were not available.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Roseville Police Department at (586) 775-2100.