Man accused of robbing Duluth liquor store with gun in a sock

DULUTH, Ga. - A man was arrested after a bizarre armed robbery at a liquor store in Duluth that led to a takedown at a nearby apartment complex. 

The employee who was behind the counter when all this was happening says he originally didn't think it was real, but then he quickly realized it was more serious than he thought.

"It was a pretty bold move on his part," Brian Allen said. 

It was around 5:30 p.m. June 7 when Allen said a man entered Sweetwater Package Liquor Store. 

"He had kind of a strange look on his face and I said and when I said that he pulled the mask up," Allen explained.

That's when he says the man put a weapon wrapped in a sock to the back of his head.

"Honestly, at first, I didn't think he was being serious. I don't know why I thought it was a joke or something," Allen said. 

"Maybe because whatever he had was inside of a sock. I just kind of first thought, you know this guy can't be serious, plus it was still daylight, people all around. It was just kind of surreal," he added.

Police say the man later identified as 42-year-old Tyrik Bright got away with a few hundred bucks before running home to his apartment nearby, just minutes before police arrived at the liquor store. 

A week later, the Duluth Police SWAT team found Bright and arrested him. 

Allen said he's glad everyone in the store that day is OK. 

"Part of me is kind of mad that I didn't do something to stop him but at the same time at the end of the day you know everybody's safety is more important than money," Allen explained. 

Bright was being held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond on an armed robbery charge as of Thursday evening.