Washington: An Indian-origin man and his daughter were shot dead in a department store in Virginia, USA. According to a report by news agency PTI, 56-year-old Pradeep Kumar Patel and his 24-year-old daughter Urmi were working at a relative's shop on Lankford Highway in Accomack County, Virginia, when the incident took place. The shooting took place shortly after the store opened on March 20. Police have arrested the accused of this double murder. The accused's name is George Frazier Devon Wharton.
According to reports, the accused reached the shop on March 20 in the morning to buy liquor and asked why the shop was closed at night. An argument broke out and the suspect opened fire on the father and daughter. The county sheriff's office received a call about the shooting just after 5:30 a.m. on March 20.
The father died at the scene and the daughter died at the hospital
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Patel unconscious and wounded. During a search of the building, his daughter, who had also been shot, was found at the scene. Patel was pronounced dead at the scene and the daughter, who was not identified at the time, was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she died during treatment.
Who shot the father and daughter?
On Thursday, police announced they had arrested a man in connection with the shooting. County Sheriff W. Todd Wessels said George Frazier Devon White, 44, of Onancock, is being held without bail. He has been charged with first-degree murder, as well as various felony and weapons offenses.
"My cousin's wife and his father were working this morning and some people came here and opened fire," store owner Paresh Patel said in an interview to Virginia's local news channel WAYV-TV. "I don't know what to do," he said.
Went to America from Gujarat six years ago
According to NDTV's report, Pradeep Patel and his wives Hansaben and Heti Urmi, originally from Mehsana district of Gujarat, moved to the US six years ago. They were working at a convenience store owned by a relative, Paresh Patel. Speaking to WAVY TV in Virginia, Paresh Patel said that both the victims were his family members.
Paresh Patel said, "My cousin's wife and his father were working this morning. Some man came and opened fire. I don't know what to do." Pradeep Patel and Hansaben have two more daughters - one lives in Canada, the other in Ahmedabad.
Relatives in India shocked
The tragic incident has left Patel's relatives in Mehsana in a state of shock. Pradeep Patel's uncle Chandu Patel said he had come to the US about 6-7 years ago. "From local media reports and viral videos, we came to know that he was shot dead. We spoke to his daughter and she told us everything," he said.
The double murder has shocked the Indian community in the US. The incident comes a few months after Mainak Patel, a 36-year-old Indian-origin man who ran a convenience store in North Carolina, was shot dead during a robbery.
