Gujarati father-daughter shot dead in US by man frustrated over alcohol wait

In a tragic double murder, a Gujarati father-daughter duo was shot dead in Virginia, US, by a man who was allegedly frustrated after waiting all night for a liquor store to open. The incident has sent shockwaves through the Indian community in the US and has left the victims' family in Gujarat devastated.

The victims, 56-year-old Pradeepbhai Patel and his 26-year-old daughter Urmi, were opening their department store at around 5:30 am (local time) on Friday when the accused, identified as George Frazier Devon Wharton, confronted them. According to the family, Wharton had been loitering around the store all night, waiting to buy alcohol. Enraged at the delay, he demanded to know why the store had been closed overnight before suddenly opening fire.

Pradeepbhai was shot twice and died on the spot, while Urmi was hit by a single bullet. She was rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator, but later succumbed to her injuries. Within two hours of the attack, US authorities arrested Wharton, who has now been charged with first-degree murder and felony.

Pradeepbhai, along with his wife Hansaben and their youngest daughter Urvi, had moved to the United States six years ago on a visitor visa. They eventually settled there and ran the store. The couple’s other daughters live in Canada and Ahmedabad. Following the tragedy, Pradeep’s daughter and son-in-law flew from Ahmedabad to the US to be with the grieving family.

The case has triggered concerns over violence against Indian immigrants in the US, with the Indian community mourning the loss. The Patel family in Gujarat is struggling to come to terms with the devastating news, and arrangements are being made for their relatives to travel to the US for the final rites.

With Wharton in police custody, the legal proceedings are set to begin, and authorities are investigating whether the crime was premeditated or an act of uncontrolled rage. The shocking incident has once again highlighted the dangers of random gun violence in the US.