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Dallas woman, 29, killed a store clerk and then stole a bottle of water, cops say

Aleigha Horn, 29, was also wanted in connection to a shooting three days earlier, police said

Alex Lang
Thursday 18 July 2024 05:04 BST
Aleigha Horn, 29, is accused of shooting dead Inayath Syed inside a convenience store in the Dallas area
Aleigha Horn, 29, is accused of shooting dead Inayath Syed inside a convenience store in the Dallas area (Dallas County jail)

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Louise Thomas

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A Dallas woman is behind bars and accused of killing a store clerk and then stealing a bottle of water, according to reports.

Aleigha Horn, 29, has been charged with capital murder in connection to the death of 52-year-old Inayath Syed, according to Fox 4.

Police said that on July 8, Syed was working at the A&A Mart near the Dallas Zoo when Horn came into the store.

Video surveillance showed Horn placing a bottle of water on the counter, according to the report.

The clerk and suspect started to argue, which is when Horn pulled out a handgun and shot Syed in the neck.

She then left the store with the bottle of water.

Syed coworkers and responding police chased after Horn, the report noted. She was found in the woods a few blocks from the scene. Authorities also found a handgun nearby.

Aleigha Horn, 29, is accused of shooting dead Inayath Syed inside a convenience store in the Dallas area
Aleigha Horn, 29, is accused of shooting dead Inayath Syed inside a convenience store in the Dallas area (Dallas County jail)

The worker was taken to the hospital and died on Monday. Horn was initially charged with aggravated robbery of a business, but they were upgraded after Syed’s death.

Horn was also wanted for another shooting, three days earlier, according to the report. In that case, she knocked on a door and reportedly put a gun to a person’s face. When she pulled the trigger, it did not fire.

When Horn tried again, the man was shot near his elbow.

A customer at the store told Fox 4 that Syed was a good person.

"He’s a very good guy, all about his job, very serious about his job. No complaints about him, looked out for everyone if you needed help," Heather Valdez told the outlet.

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