Houston police say they responded to a robbery in progress call around 10 p.m. Monday at Fulton Street.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the suspect had been shot.
Police say the suspected robber tried to buy something with a counterfeit $20 bill. When the store clerk told the suspect the money was no good, the suspect showed his gun and opened fire once.
Fearing for his life, police say the store clerk returned fire against the suspect. The suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
There were no other customers inside the store at the time of the shooting.
Police say there are no charges against the clerk at this time.