New York: An Indian-origin businessman has been shot dead outside his home in South Carolina, media reports say.
Harnish Patel, 43, of 262 Craig Manor Road, Lancaster, was found dead outside his house in Lancaster, shortly after he closed his shop at 11.24pm on Thursday, a media report said. Patel is survived by his wife and child in elementary school, who were at home when he was killed.
A woman called the police and said that she heard screaming and gunshots and when sheriff's deputies arrived, they found Patel dead from apparent gunshot wounds a few feet from his house, WBTV reported.
This is a photo from surveillance video of Harnish Patel a few weeks ago talking to a one of his renters. pic.twitter.com/t2fQZLTCJC— Yolian Ortiz FOX46 (@YolianFOX46) March 3, 2017
Police found two shell casings at the crime scene.
Patel's death comes just two days after President Donald Trump had condemned the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, the previous Wednesday in a Kansas bar as "hate and evil".
“Investigators believe he drove from the store directly home, where he was confronted by his killer when he got out of the vehicle,” a police statement said.
Lancaster Sheriff Barry Faile says Harnish Patel was shot twice. Two shell casings found outside his home. K-9 did not pick up a scent. pic.twitter.com/P0js4PgWZh— Greg Suskin (@GSuskinWSOC9) March 3, 2017
Local officials in Lancaster, however, did not believe that Patel's killing was a hate crime as investigations are on, The Herald reported.
"I don't have any reason to believe that this was racially motivated," County Sheriff Barry Faile said on Friday.
Local WSOCTV said there was a lot of anger over the killing of Patel, who was considered an important member of the community and a kind person who treated his customers as friends and helped law enforcement.
