Indian-American Store Owner Shot Dead in Tennessee Robbery Witnessed by Daughter

Suresh Parsottamdas Patel, 62, had opened the store in Jackson City just a week before the attack, after living in Chicago for many years, according to Dinesh Suthar, a resident of Patel's native Aakhaj village in Mehsana district.

On the night of August 20, 2026, a masked robber entered the store, took cash from the drawer, and then shot Patel, killing him at the scene. Patel's 19-year-old daughter was standing nearby and witnessed the entire incident, Suthar said.

Patel had been living in the United States for nearly 30 years. The assailant, who wore a mask, jeans, and a T-shirt, fled with the cash and remains at large, with local police investigating the robbery and shooting.

The killing has cast a pall over Aakhaj village, where residents expressed shock and growing concern about violent crimes against Indian-origin business owners in the United States, Suthar said.