Indian woman shot dead in Virginia supermarket

A 45-year-old Indian-origin woman was shot and killed inside a supermarket in Virginia, United States, on May 23, in an attack authorities suspect may have been an attempted robbery. The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance system, and footage has circulated widely online.

The victim has been identified as Meghnaben Patel, originally from Jantral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district. She had been working at the Virginia supermarket for approximately ten years. Patel is survived by her husband, Upendrabhai Patel, and their two children, who live in the United States.

According to the CCTV footage described by authorities, a masked man entered the nearly empty store disguised as a customer. He was reportedly wearing gloves, a face covering, patterned clothing, a jacket, and a hat. The suspect approached the counter where Patel was working, engaged in a brief conversation, and then pulled out a firearm and shot her multiple times at close range. The footage shows Patel collapsing to the floor. The attacker is then seen fleeing the scene. Some reports indicate the suspect may have taken something from the counter before escaping.

Local police responded quickly to...