A clerk at a Kenmore convenience store was fatally shot with a King County deputy's handgun during an early-morning altercation yesterday.

Sheriff's officials say a 23-year-old man, the roommate of the deputy, allegedly shot the clerk multiple times just after midnight at the Plaid Pantry, at Juanita Drive and Simons Road.

Officials say the handgun was not the deputy's service weapon but was his personal handgun.

The Sheriff's Office has not identified the suspect or the victim. The Associated Press identified the slain clerk as Dimitri Halb.

The deputy called 911 after he learned that the suspect had left their residence, blocks away from the convenience store, with the gun, said King County Sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart.

When sheriff's officials arrived at the deputy's residence, a second 911 call alerted officials to the shooting at the store.

The suspect apparently had been drinking earlier in the day, but officials say they do not know what provoked the shooting. Burglary is not considered the motive, Urquhart said.

"The only relationship we know the two had was as a customer and clerk," Urquhart said.

The deputy, who has been with the department about 20 years, is not under investigation for any wrongdoing, Urquhart said.

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577