STAR, N.C. — Police said a 17-year-old male was apprehended near Darlington, South Carolina on Monday, accused of shooting and killing a gas station clerk last month in the small town of Star, North Carolina.
The shooting happened on June 25 at a Quik Chek on South Main Street. The clerk, Laura Whitman, was new to that location and had just started her shift when someone with a gun walked inside the store.
Whitman's daughter, Courtney Rodriguez, said she still has so many questions about that night.
"Just why? Why?" Rodriguez said. "I don't understand, he got exactly what he wanted and still shot her. He couldn't be identified but he still took her life. I don't understand that, I don't understand why."
Even with the arrests, Rodriguez said it doesn't make the pain hurt any less.
"It's a lot of weight off my chest because before it felt like they were still running around, and now they're not and they've been caught," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also works at a Quik Chek in a town over. She said knowing what happened to her mom makes her a little concerned about working behind the counter, but she knows her mom wouldn't want her to quit.
"I think she would want me to continue doing my job, and being who I am, and putting a smile on peoples' faces, just like she would," Rodriguez said. "Her customers, she would always make sure that they left with a smile."
SBI agents said the 17-year-old male jumped behind the counter with Whitman. They said Whitman opened the cash register, and the teen began going through it.
Instead of taking the money and leaving, investigators said the teen turned toward Whitman and shot her multiple times. The teen then grabbed more money from the register before walking out of the store, according to a release.
Whitman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The SBI said the teen will eventually be transferred to Montgomery County in North Carolina where he will be charged with the first-degree murder of Whitman and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Another man also faces charges in the deadly robbery. Police said James William Ward, 57, is accused of driving the getaway car. He was arrested Monday in Winston-Salem. He's charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Ward is in Forsyth County Jail under no bond allowed.
Star Police Chief D. Kime said it's unclear when the 17-year-old suspect could be extradited to Montgomery County due to other pending charges in South Carolina.
The SBI said the teen was also wanted in Darlington, SC for an attempted murder on June 5.
