Our Bureau
Accomack, VA
A tragic incident occurred in Virginia, USA, where a 56-year-old Indian-origin man, Pradipkumar Patel, and his 24-year-old daughter were fatally shot at a convenience store. The suspect, George Frazier Devon Wharton (44), has been arrested and faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
The accused reportedly arrived at the establishment early on Thursday morning to purchase alcohol and inquired as to why it was closed at night. Then he started shooting at the father and daughter. Pradeep Patel passed away immediately, but his daughter Urmi passed away in the hospital from her wounds.
At the time of the shooting, Pradip Patel and his daughter were employed at the Accomack County shop on Lankford Highway. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is where Accomack County is situated.
From the Mehsana area of Gujarat, Pradeep Patel, his wife Hansaben, and their daughter Urmi immigrated to the United States six years ago. They had been employed at Paresh Patel’s convenience shop, which was owned by a relative.
On the gruesome murder of two of his Indian family members, Paresh Patel said, “My cousin’s wife and her dad were working this morning. Some guy came here and just shot. I don’t know what to do,” he said.
The other two daughters of Pradeep Patel and Hansaben reside in Ahmedabad and Canada, respectively.
This has deeply shaken the Indian community in the U.S. and beyond. As the incident occurs months after Mainank Patel, a 36-year-old man of Indian descent who was operating a convenience store in North Carolina, was shot and killed during an on-site robbery.
