A 24-year-old Indian woman and her 56-year-old father were tragically shot dead at a departmental store in Accomack County, Virginia, where they had been working. The incident occurred on Thursday morning, shortly after the store opened.
The accused, 44-year-old George Frazier Devon Wharton, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, along with multiple felony and firearms-related offenses.
According to reports, Wharton arrived at the store early Thursday to purchase liquor and confronted the staff about why the store had been closed the previous night.
He then opened fire on the victims — Pradeep Patel, who died on the spot, and his daughter Urmi Patel, who later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
Originally from Mehsana district in Gujarat, India, the Patel family — Pradeep, his wife Hansaben, and their daughter Urmi — had moved to the U.S. six years ago. They had been working at the convenience store owned by a relative, Paresh Patel.
Speaking to WAVY TV in Virginia, Paresh 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."
Pradeep and Hansaben have two other daughters — one residing in Canada and the other in Ahmedabad.
The brutal killings have deeply shocked the Patel family’s relatives in India. Pradeep’s uncle, Chandu Patel, told reporters that they learned about the incident through news reports and a viral video. “We spoke to his daughter, and she told us everything,” he said.
The double murder has sent shockwaves through the Indian community in the U.S., coming just months after another tragic killing — 36-year-old Indian-origin store owner Mainank Patel was shot dead during a robbery in North Carolina.
