A 56-year-old Indian-origin shop owner, Suresh Parsottamdas Patel, was shot dead during an armed robbery at his newly opened store in Jackson, Tennessee. Originally from Mehsana, Gujarat, Patel had been living in the United States for nearly 30 years, having previously spent many years in Chicago before launching his new business, Ridgecrest Cellars, which had opened only a few days prior to the tragedy.
The fatal incident occurred on August 20 when an unidentified suspect entered the store, brandished a weapon, and demanded cash from employees. After taking the money, the assailant opened fire, striking Patel while his 19-year-old daughter was standing right next to him. During the chaos, a 70-year-old employee who had been working since the store’s opening fell and sustained a fractured wrist.
Local law enforcement described the suspect as wearing a grey hoodie, jeans, and black work-style boots with his face covered by a paintball-style mask, fleeing the scene in a white sedan. Police have released surveillance images from the store as the investigation continues and the suspect remains at large. News of the violent crime has cast a pall of deep grief and shock over Patel’s native village in the Mehsana district.
