Peter Blackwood was accused of demanding money and cigarettes before trying to kill Naser Hussain at his Glasgow store in January 2016.
An attacker was seen on CCTV pointing a gun at Mr Hussain's chest and then shooting him the leg.
But Mr Blackwood denied any involvement and was cleared after a trial.
The High Court in Glasgow was told that despite Mr Hussain telling his attacker to take what he wanted, the gunman shot him in the leg and tried to help himself to cigarettes.
But the 24-year-old shopkeeper then chased him out of the KOF Convenience Store in Yoker with a bullet lodged in his leg.
Mr Hussain gave evidence at the trial and said he has since given up his shop and is now studying.
Jurors watched footage of a man dressed all in black with only his eyes on show going into the shop.
Mr Hussain was in another part of the store and made his way to the till area where the man pulled a gun out.
He told the jury the raider pointed the handgun "directly at him".
The police and an ambulance arrived after Mr Hussain chased his attacker away with a metal rod, the court was told.
Mr Blackwood later gave a "no comment" interview to police. The jury heard evidence that when he was charged with attempted murder, he confessed to police.
Footage of London Road police station was played to the jury, which officers claimed captured Mr Blackwood saying: "I wish I'd shot him in the face."
But jurors found the case against Mr Blackwood was not proven.
A man who police claimed confessed to wishing he had shot a shopkeeper in the face has been cleared of trying to kill him.