US: Indian-Origin Man Shot Dead During Robbery Bid In North Carolina, Teen Suspect Held

Mainik Patel, an Indian-origin man, died after he was shot multiple times at his convenience store in North Carolina in the US. A juvenile suspect has been taken into custody by the cops.

A 36-year-old Indian-origin man was shot dead during a robbery at his convenience store in North Carolina, United States.

The deceased, identified as Mainank Patel, was the owner of Tobacco House at 2580 Airport Road. He was attacked and killed on Tuesday morning, according to the Salisbury Post.

Following the incident, a juvenile male was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the crime, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said. However, his name has not been revealed due to his age.

The cops said that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday evening. Besides this, no further details have been provided.

The public information officer for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Mark McDaniel, stated that deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call from Patel's store.

They were informed about a shooting while they were on their way to the store.

Upon arrival, they found Patel with multiple gunshot wounds, following which the deputies rushed him to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center.

Later, he was transferred to Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, where he succumbed to his multiple gunshot injuries.

Exact Motive Unknown, Police Suspect Robbery Bid

The CCTV footage showed a tall, slender white male fleeing the scene. He was dressed in black shorts, a black hoodie, a black ski mask, and white Nike tennis shoes with burgundy logos. He also appeared to be carrying a black handgun with him, Captain Mark McDaniel said.

Although the exact motive behind the shooting remains unclear, the sheriff’s office stated that the incident was likely a case of robbery.

No one else was injured in the attack.

Patel is survived by his pregnant wife, Ami, and their 5-year-old daughter.

Deeply affected by the loss, the community placed flowers and cards outside his store on Wednesday, expressing their grief over his death as they remembered Patel, whom they called "Mike".

"It hit everybody because this was a family, this was a community family store," the report quoted a regular customer, Ann Ellis as saying.

"There are just no words to describe how great a guy Mike was," said Javier Lopez, who had been mainatining the store's lawn for years..

Another regular customer, Patricia Howard, described Patel as "a super good man" who was "good to his customers, loved his family, and would have helped anyone."