A man working at a Speedway gas station at the intersection of East 71st Street and North Keystone Avenue was shot around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Seven hours later, police arrested 26-year-old Terrance Harris on a preliminary charge of attempted murder and robbery.  

A family member watched the news and called to turn in the suspect. Harris was arrested at the Colonial Square Apartments in the 5700 block of Renn Lane.

Only Eyewitness News was there as officers cautiously ordered Harris out. On the second attempt, he slowly came out with his hands up at which point officers then handcuffed him and took him in for questioning.

"I don't understand why," Harris' emotional mother told Eyewitness News Reporter Matt McCutcheon. "I just had a whole new grandbaby yesterday and I don't understand why he would do something like this. It is so heartbreaking."

Police say the suspect entered the store and began a conversation about nachos with the employee. The employee told police the suspect was incoherent and acting strangely and that the suspect then left the gas station and later returned with a gun.

The employee was shot in the face and the stomach. He was taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis in critical, but stable condition, according to IMPD. His condition later changed to serious.

"I don't know what happened or what went wrong," the suspect's mother said. "I don't know. I just pray that that man is okay and that he pulls through. That is all I know. All I can do is pray; I just pray for the his family and pray that he pulls through and I just want to let him know that he (my son) is not a bad person. I just don't know what happened, what went wrong, who he was with."

Officers say they are uncertain about a motive and do not believe the two men know one another.

 "I can say after speaking with officers on scene that there was something [wrong]. He was very incoherent," said IMPD Officer Chris Wilburn.

Harris told Matt McCutcheon he went clubbing and then added, "I went to sleep last night. That's what I did."

The victim is able to talk to police and will also be used to positively identify the suspect.. 

“We don't know what the mental capacity of this individual was," said IMPD Officer Christopher Wilburn. "I can say after speaking with officers on scene that he was very incoherent from what we have been able to understand."

Many convenience stores have protective bulletproof glass separating employees from customers. But in this case, there was no barrier between the gunman and the clerk.

We've called Speedway's corporate office to find out if this particular store has glass protection or whether it was not raised at the time of the shooting. So far we have not received an answer.

Gas station shootings have been a point of issue for convenience store trade groups who have fought for safety improvements.