12-year-old charged after armed robbery at Dartmouth store using pellet gun, police say

A 12-year-old boy is facing charges following an armed robbery at a convenience store in Dartmouth, N.S.

Just after 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, police responded to a report of a robbery at the Highfield Variety Store, located at 94 Highfield Park Drive.

Chad Vincent was working behind the counter at the time.

Vincent told CTV News someone entered the store and was acting suspiciously. At first, the person asked if he could wait inside the store and asked whether the other person in the store was a customer or a worker. He left but soon returned.

“And that’s when he pulled out a gun and he pointed to the customer and asked him to leave the store or he was going to shoot him,” Vincent said.

Vincent said as the customer left, he managed to push a panic button to alert police.

Vincent describes how then, the gun was turned toward him.

“He came to the back of the counter where I was. He asked me to fill my bag up with money, which I did. As I was doing that he grabbed another bag and started filling a bag with cigarette tubes, which I’m assuming he thought were cartons of smokes,” Vincent said.

“He had the gun pointed into my skull and he was like, 'If you move, I will shoot,'” he said.

As another customer came to the door, Vincent tried to warn them what was going on but said the doorbell kept ringing.

It was then Vincent said he was shot at but not hit.

“Which then I realized that it was actually a pellet gun and I heard the pellet bounce on the floor towards me,” he said.

Halifax Regional Police arrived at the scene within minutes and made an arrest. 

Police have charged the boy with numerous offences including robbery, uttering threats and assault with a weapon, along with multiple weapons charges. Police also confirm with CTV News the weapon was a pellet gun.

The owner of Highfield Variety Store said this is the third robbery his business has experienced in recent weeks.

Another worker, Michelle Donovan, was also robbed at gunpoint last week.

“Last night, there was only one person. The night that I got robbed there was two of them,” she said.

At the store on Friday, regulars offered their support for a business that’s been operating for more than 30 years.

The 12-year-old boy is scheduled to appear in youth court Feb. 2 for an election and plea.

“I hope he gets the help he needs,” Vincent said.