Aunt Of Tulsa Robbery Suspect Apologizes To Victims

The aunt of a man suspected of robbing a Tulsa liquor store apologizes for her nephew. 

The owner shot Tyrone Lee when she said he came in to rob them.

2/23/2018 Related Story: Tulsa Police Name Man Shot During Apparent Robbery Attempt

Police said he's suspected in at least 10 other robberies.

Lee is still in critical condition but is expected to survive.

The clerks are very shaken up.

The suspect's aunt, Corrine, said she hopes her nephew finally gets the help

he needs.

“I just wanted to apologize for him because I know him. I raised him,” she said.

Corrine went to Forest Acres Liquor store to apologize for her nephew.

“I'd been trying to call him no answer. I knew something wrong,” said Corrine.

Corrine said she believes her nephew snapped before robbing the store and he needs help.

“I grew up raising him so I know the problem that he has … he’s sick and I pray they get him some help.” Said Corrine.

Investigators say surveillance video shows Lee in the Forest Acres Liquor store with a sawed off shotgun, trying to rob the clerk and her daughter. But they had other plans.

“They did what they had to do to stop someone that needed to be stopped,” said the clerks son, Justin Christian.

Christian said his mom and sister got guns quickly from behind the counter and locked the suspect out in the waiting area.

They said while calling for help, Lee was able to get back inside, and fought for the gun.

“They fought for their life ... had my mom not made sure that the pistol she shot was empty, he tried shooting my sister with it point blank,” Christian said.

Christian said they've never had anything like this happen and he doubts they will ever again.

“We pretty much kinda let everybody know by putting signs up like that we are packing and we know what to do with them,” he said.

He's proud of his mother and sister for doing everything they could during the scariest moment of their lives.

For now, they're just trying to get back to business as usual.

“It could've turned out different and worse and I’m sure glad it didn’t,” Christian said.

Justin said his mom was injured in the fight but is back home and is doing okay.

Police believe Lee is connected to a series of robberies in the Tulsa area and we will continue to follow this as it develops.