Terrifying footage shows the moment scared children put their hands in the air as an armed robber bursts into a teddy bear store.
The CCTV video shows the suspect take a pistol from his waistband and order everyone inside to put their hands up.
The incident happened in Teddy Bears El Paraiso in Mesa, Arizona, on a busy Sunday afternoon in April, with the store manager just now releasing the footage.
In the footage, the cashier can be seen handing over the money before an unsuspecting man walks into the store unaware a robbery is going on.
The gunman orders him into the corner to join the others who he had already corralled there.
The robber made off with around $800.
Detailing the lasting impact of the robbery, store manager Eliseo Francisco told AZ Family: "I get nervous. I don't feel safe. You can tell when someone has the intention to do a lot of harm. I saw that in his (suspect's) eyes."
Mr Francisco said his nine-year-old son was in the shop with him when the robbery was carried out.
He added: "When he pointed the gun at me, I knew he would shoot me if I didn't give him what he wanted. At that moment, I prayed to God to help me because it was life or death."
Mesa Police Sergeant Jamey Cox confirmed the manager's description of events.
The police sergeant said: "It was a scary moment... He showed a handgun to kids in the middle of the afternoon, in a toy store. So to us, he’s dangerous, he’s armed, and we need to find him."
The shop also transfers money abroad and the manager believes that is why they were targeted.
The suspected robber still has not been caught.
He has been described as male, mid to late twenties, 5'7" to 5'9" tall, weighing between 150 and 160 lbs.
He wore blue jeans, a long-sleeved orange shirt, a black baseball cap, a black head mask, a red bandana and black glove on his left hand and grey sneakers with a white stripe.
Anyone with information on the suspect is being asked to contact police at (480) 948-6377.
Since the robbery Mr Francisco has installed barriers at the register and a new chime at the door. He said: "I would feel more calm when he’s arrested and not able to do this again."
