Gunfire rang out during a Friday night robbery at the Mangat Mini Market on West Orange Street, but nobody was struck or injured, according to city police and the store's manager.

The manager, David Mangat, and a fleeing robber fired a shot each with their handguns after the robber grabbed some cash.

The two were only about 10 feet apart, but neither man was hit.

"He started shooting, and I started shooting at him," said Mangat, who has a concealed weapons permit.

Mangat, 23, of Lancaster, said he was behind the counter of the market at 629 W. Orange St. when a man wearing a long dark coat entered the store at about 11:45 p.m.

"He reached under his coat and came out with a handgun. Then he told me to put the money in the bag," said Mangat.

"I started talking to him. I wanted to create a diversion so I could get to my gun," said Mangat.

"I asked him if he wanted more money. He said 'yes,"'

That gave Mangat the chance to reach into the area where he kept his weapon.

The manager came up holding his own handgun instead of more bills.

When the robber saw the gun, he turned and started running toward the door. But before leaving the store, he turned and fired one round that struck a wall inside the store, Mangat and police said.

Mangat said he fired one shot at the robber, but missed.

Mangat said he did not know which direction the robber fled nor how much money was stolen.

A report of a "robbery with shots fired" sent police rushing to the store, which is where Marietta Avenue splits off from West Orange Street.

The robber was not found. Police were told he was a black male with a medium build who wore a long black coat.

This morning, police were trying to see if surveillance cameras in the area caught the robber or any part of the holdup on film.

About 45 minutes after the robbery, police spotted a man they thought matched the robber's description walking into the Blue Star Hotel, 602 W. King St.

Officers approached the man at the bar and asked him to step outside.

While he was not the man they were looking for in the robbery, during a pat-down search officers found him in possession of suspected illegal drugs.

Martavious Lynell Tomlin, 23, of 25 E. New St., had three sandwich bags containing marijuana, another bag that contained packages with wrapped bags of powder cocaine, a digital scale and $1,239 in cash, police said.

Officer Jay Hatfield charged Tomlin with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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