Priyanka Tiwari
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A heartbreaking shooting in Virginia on March 20 took the lives of 56-year-old Pradipkumar Patel and his 2-year-old daughter. The tragic event occurred at a convenience store on Lankford Highway in Accomack County, where the victims were working at the time.
Authorities have arrested 44-year-old George Frazier Devon Wharton from Onancock in connection with the incident. Wharton is currently being held without bond at the Accomack Jail, as confirmed by Sheriff W. Todd Wessells.
Wharton faces serious charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on March 20, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a shooting at the store. Deputies arrived to find Pradipkumar Patel already deceased from gunshot wounds. They also found his daughter, who had been shot, and rushed her to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Sadly, she later passed away from her injuries.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. Paresh Patel, the store’s owner and relative of the victims, expressed his shock and sadness over the incident in a statement to WAVY-TV. "My cousin’s wife and her dad were working this morning when some guy came here and just shot," Paresh said. "I don’t know what to do." The tragedy has profoundly affected the Indian community in the United States, with the news spreading quickly on social media.
The investigation into this case is ongoing, and more details are expected as authorities continue to piece together the events surrounding the shooting.
