WASHINGTON: A 36-year-old Indian-origin man, Mainank Patel, was tragically shot and killed during a robbery at his convenience store in Salisbury, North Carolina. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at Patel's store, Tobacco House, located at 2580 Airport Road.
According to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, a juvenile male suspect is in custody for the crime. Due to his age, authorities are unable to release the suspect's name. The juvenile was arrested on Tuesday evening, though no additional details have been provided at this time.
The police were first alerted to the situation when they received a 911 hang-up call from the store, said Captain Mark McDaniel, public information officer for the Rowan County Sheriff's Office. While deputies were en route, they received further communication indicating that a shooting had taken place. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies found Patel suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Patel was initially transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and later moved to Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte. Despite the medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.
A security video from the store captured footage of a tall, slender white male fleeing the scene across the parking lot. The suspect was dressed in black shorts, a black hoodie, and a black ski mask. He was also wearing white Nike tennis shoes with burgundy logos and appeared to be holding a black handgun.
Captain McDaniel mentioned that while the motive behind the shooting is not fully clear, it is believed to be a robbery. Fortunately, no one else was injured during the incident.
Patel, who was affectionately known as "Mike" by the local community, leaves behind a seven-and-a-half-month pregnant wife, Ami, and their 5-year-old daughter. The community has been deeply affected by his death, with flowers and cards placed outside his store as a sign of mourning.
Ann Ellis, a regular customer, expressed the shared grief of the community: "It hit everybody because this was a family, this was a community family store."
Javier Lopez, who has been maintaining the store’s lawn for years, shared his sorrow: "The Patel family treated everyone like family. I just saw him yesterday morning, and on my way home from work, I saw the police and stopped to see what had happened."
Patricia Howard, another regular customer, added: "There are just no words to describe how great a guy Mike was. He was a super good man, good to his customers, loved his family, and would have helped anyone."