ZEBULON — Three men dressed in black stormed into the Byrd's food store on Gannon Avenue Tuesday morning and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

The men, at least one of whom was armed, walked through the front entrance and toward the cash register. A clerk was ordered to go to the safe and remove money.

The suspects left on foot and police searched the area with Raleigh police dogs. Zebulon Police Lt. David Godwin said the robbers had their faces covered with ski masks and panty hose. No one was hurt in the heist.

Authorities are concerned about similarities between this robbery and others. One was committed last Friday at an Arby's restaurant less than a mile from Byrd's. Lt. David Godwin of the Zebulon Police department says the crimes appear to be related.

The only difference between the crimes is that there were three gunmen involved in Tuesday's.

Byrd's clerk Denise Medlin says they were taken by surprise.

No one was hurt during the robberies, but Zebulon is a small, quiet town and, after the robberies and a triple murder Monday night, residents are not handling this sudden rise in crime well. Nathan Medlin says residents don't know how to react.

Godwin agrees, but says it might be wise to be alert to crime, even in small towns.

Tuesday's robbery was about 7 miles from where the triple murder occurred a few hours earlier.