“...Sounds like the shooter knew the store clerk. Jilted lover? Or he could have been hired by someone else to take her out....”
Yeah, my thought too. And the other murder next door could be the distraction needed to murder the lady. Says she was a newly wed. Wonder?
Knew the clerk?! You don’t want to believe that there are people who will just kill for no reason?
Hired by someone?! You don’t want to believe that you can just be killed any day any time by anybody?
Distraction needed?! He killed her because he wanted to kill someone, or he just didn’t have the slightest inclination not to. It was his mere impulse to kill her. Why should he feel some need to talk her into giving him the money. He would have moved a trash can if it were in the way. (I do not know this any better than you dear FReeper, but if you will graciously grant my attempt to make the point.)
There is no point to understand anything about this except hunt him down and destroy him. If there is an explanation or some motive then perhaps the evidence will show that, but we cannot not assume that will be the case. And it will not make any difference anyway. This is the world we live in, though I admit that I wish it were as you imagine and that explanations such as you suggest would always present.