SALEM, Mass. -- Police in Salem are on the hunt for a convenience store robber who used a syringe as his weapon. The robbery has gone down as a first, they said.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that police hope surveillance video will lead them to the robber. It is the first robbery in Salem where someone used a syringe as a weapon, but certainly not the first ever.

In fact, police warn that syringes are fast becoming a weapon of choice for criminals.

The latest robbery took place when a man walked into Salem's New Market convenience store Sunday, his face partially concealed by clothing. He pulled out a syringe and demanded cash in front of security cameras.

"He didn't say anything about the syringe, he just showed me the syringe and, like, right then, I realized, I didn't want anything to do with that," the store owner's son, Peter Huynh, said.

Huynh said he handed over the money, about $100 gone from his father's store.

"I don't know where that syringe has been and I don't want to take any chances," he said.

Salem police said the man, who was wearing a dark blue winter jacket and who had dark hair, looks similar to someone they are familiar with. They're asking anyone with information to call Salem Police.