San Diego

A gunman fatally wounded the 45-year-old owner of a San Diego convenience store Saturday morning, authorities said.

Masoud Karana of La Mesa died after being shot once in the head and twice in the back, a spokesman for the medical examiner said.

Two employees of Skyway Liquor and Market in the 3600 block of Main Street found Karana at 9:40 a.m. lying behind the counter, bleeding profusely. They called police, and Karana was taken to UCSD Medical Center, where he was placed on life support systems, said Robert Engel, a medical examiner investigator. He died at 1:58 p.m., Engel said.

Police homicide detectives investigating the shooting are not sure if a robbery was attempted, said Steve Dietrich, a police spokesman. The police are seeking an overweight black male, approximately 6-foot, 2-inches tall, 35 years old, who was seen leaving the store in a brown station wagon heading east on Main Street, Dietrich said. Witnesses said that the suspect was wearing a black jacket and a black hat or cap.

Karana is survived by his wife, Ann.