The tenth armed robbery at a Decatur County business since June happened on Monday night, when two masked men robbed the Zip Trip convenience store located at 1006 E. River Road in Bainbridge.

According to a Bainbridge Public Safety incident report, two black males—each wearing gloves and masks and wielding guns—came into the store shortly before 8:40 p.m. Monday. The robbers took a large amount of cash from the store before fleeing. They reportedly fired a shot during the robbery, although no one was injured.

According to the report filed by Public Safety Officer Beau Harrell, who talked with the store’s employees after the robbery, the robbers pointed guns at the employees and demanded money from the store’s cash register. After taking all of the cash in the register, the robbers then ordered the employees go into the store’s office to get more money, which the robbers put inside a black trash bag. Then, the robbers ordered the employees into the store’s refrigerated area. One of the robbers fired a shot as the employees tried to close the door into the refrigerated area, and Officer Harrell found a bullet casing on the store’s floor.

Harrell also observed one of the employees’ hands had been taped together with duct tape.

One suspect was dressed in all black; the other was wearing brown pants and a dark shirt.

Along with BPS officers and investigators, Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also responded to the robbery on Monday night. The Sheriff’s Office called in search dog teams from the Apalachee Correctional Institute in Sneads, Fla.

Recent rash of armed robberies

Along with Tuesday’s armed robbery, seven other armed robberies occurring since July of this year remain unsolved. Law enforcement have arrested suspects in armed robberies occurring June 9 at Mr. Pip’s on U.S. 27 North and on Aug. 31 at the Quick Change in Attapulgus.

The unsolved armed robberies during 2009 are as follows: Quick Buys on Georgia 97 South, July 9; Kangaroo on U.S. 27 North, July 16; Quick Buys in Climax, Sept. 7; Junior Mall on S. Scott Street, Sept. 12; Kangaroo on U.S. 27 North, Oct. 2; The Winery on Louise St., Oct. 8; Quick Buys on Old Whigham Dairy Road, Nov. 5.

Also unsolved is an armed robbery at the Inland convenience store at 1711 E. Shotwell Street on Oct. 15, 2008, which resulted in one of the store’s owners being shot to death.

Some of the unsolved robberies—which police believe may be connected—have involved just one robber, while others have had two robbers. In three of the robberies, the robbers had or used handcuffs. A black and silver semi-automatic handgun has been seen by witnesses in more than one of the robberies.

Anyone with information on any of the robberies can call the Sheriff’s Office at 248-3044 or Bainbridge Public Safety at 248-2038. Tips can be made anonymously. Anyone who sees suspicious activity around a store or place of business should call 911.