A tragic incident occurred in the US state of Virginia where a 56-year-old Indian-origin man and his 24-year-old daughter were shot dead at a convenience store. The victims, Pradipkumar Patel and his daughter, were working at the store on Lankford Highway in Accomack County when the shooting took place. Accomack County is situated on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The Accomack County Sheriff’s office responded to a call shortly after 5:30 am on March 20 regarding a shooting victim, as reported by Shore Daily News. Upon arrival, deputies found an unresponsive man with gunshot wounds and later discovered a woman with similar injuries inside the building. Tragically, the man was pronounced dead at the scene while the woman, who remains unidentified, succumbed to her injuries at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
An arrest was made in connection with the shooting, as announced by the Accomack County Sheriffs. The suspect, George Frazier Devon Wharton, 44, of Onancock, is currently held in Accomack Jail without bond. He faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The motive behind the shooting remains undisclosed.
Paresh Patel, the store owner and relative of the victims, expressed shock and grief over the incident. He shared with WAVY-TV, a Virginia television station, that his cousin’s wife and her father were the victims of the senseless act of violence. The news of the tragedy spread through social media platforms, causing distress among the Indian community members in the United States.
Published – March 23, 2025 11:31 am IST
