Virginia store shooting kills Indian father and daughter, adds to spate of violence against diaspora in US
In the past year, several Indian and Indian-origin individuals have tragically lost their lives in the United States due to violent incidents such as shootings
prativad 
A father and daughter from Gujarat have been killed in a shooting at a convenience store in Virginia, an attack that has sent ripples of grief through Indian-American community in the US.
Pradeep Patel, 56, was shot dead at the scene, while his 24-year-old daughter Urmi succumbed to her injuries two days later. The shooting took place in the early hours of 20 March, shortly after the pair had opened the store for the day.
Police have arrested a suspect, identified as George Frazier Devon Wharton, though the motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The Patel family had moved to the US in 2019 on visitor visas and had since settled into the tightly-knit Gujarati convenience store network. They had taken over their current store just four months ago, after years of working in a different location around 75 kilometres away.
According to relatives, the shooting may have been premeditated. “It seems the attacker had been lurking near the store and opened fire as soon as Pradeep and Urmi arrived,” said a family member.
The case has added to growing concerns over the safety of the Indian diaspora in the US, where a spate of violent incidents in the past year or so has disproportionately affected immigrant communities.
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