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Robber Shot And Killed In Wauconda Identified As Ex-Con

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Authorities have identified the man who tried to hold up a Wauconda liquor store on Sunday, only to be shot dead by the clerk.

Police said a masked man walked into Kwick Shop Liquor around 9 p.m. Sunday, pointed a gun at the clerk and a customer, and demanded money. When the customer ran out, clerk Ahmad Samhan saw an opportunity, grabbed a handgun from behind the counter, and shot the would-be robber, who died less than an hour later at a nearby hospital.

Tuesday morning, the Lake County Coroner's Office said the robber had been identified as 30-year-old Justin Greenenwald, of Ingleside. According to the coroner's office, Greenenwald had been shot four times. The coroner's office said it was informed Greenenwald was armed with an airsoft gun.

Coroner Thomas Rudd said it took longer than usual to identify Greenenwald, but authorities found his fingerprints in a national database.

Justin Greenenwald
Justin Greenenwald (Credit: Illinois Department of Corrections)

According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, Greenenwald previously served time in prison for aggravated robbery in Lake County. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison for that charge, and spent nearly two-and-a-half years in custody before he was paroled in August 2014.

Wauconda Police have said it appears Samhan was justified in shooting Greenenwald, and charges are unlikely.

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