A 56-year-old Indian man was shot dead during an attempted robbery in Jackson, Tennessee, US, on Thursday night.
The victim was identified as Suresh Patel, a Gujarati businessman who lived in the US and ran a store, according to the City of Jackson Police Department, which posted on Facebook.
Patel reportedly lived in the US for three decades.
According to local reports, the robbery occurred at the Ridgecrest Cellars Wine and Spirits, located at 2880 Ridgecrest Road in Jackson.
According to the JPD, witnesses said that a masked man walked into the store with a gun and demanded cash from the employees.
The suspect then fired multiple shots after receiving the cash. Patel was struck by the gunfire.
Sources said that the victim had just taken over the store as the new owner. His 19-year-old daughter was standing right next to him when he was shot.
Another store employee, who is 70 years old, fell during the incident and broke her wrist.
Patel reportedly hailed from Akhaj village in Mehsana taluka and moved to the US 30 years ago.
JPD described the suspect as a black male wearing a grey hoodie, jeans and black work-style boots. His face was covered with a paintball-style mask. After the shooting, he fled in a white sedan. JPD said that the shooting is still under investigation and has launched a manhunt for the shooter.
They said that the man should be considered armed and dangerous and appealed to the public to come forward with any information that could identify the suspect.
Patel’s killing is the latest in a series of attacks on Gujarat store owners in the US, the Times of India reported. In May last year, a 30-year-old man, Paresh Patel, was shot dead at a gas station during a similar robbery attempt.
Earlier this year, a Gujarati woman, Maghna Patel, was shot dead inside her store in Norfolk, Virginia. In September 2025, Kiran Patel was killed in a parking lot after she confronted an armed robber who entered her store.
