A 76-year-old Indian-origin motel owner was shot dead by a customer in the US state of Alabama following an altercation over a room, the latest in a string of tragedies to shock the community in the country.
Pravin Raojibhai Patel, who owned Hillcrest Motel in Sheffield, was shot dead last week According to Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry, William Jeremy Moore, 34, was arrested for the shooting death of Patel, WAFF TV, a television station in Huntsville, reported.
Officials said the shooting was the result of an altercation that occurred when Moore came to the property looking to rent a room. Moore pulled a gun and shot Patel, Terry said.
Authorities stated that Moore was arrested shortly after the shooting incident while attempting to break into a nearby abandoned house.
The murder weapon was found in Moore’s possession at the time of his arrest, Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry said.
One of the witnesses, Jemeriz Owens, a barber who works across the street from the hotel, said he heard three consecutive gunshots.
“He (Patel) was outside. He was just trying to get somebody to leave, and they didn’t want to leave, and they shot him,” Owens told WAAY 31 news channel.
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) condemned the incident, labelling it a “senseless act of violence”.
AAHOA chairman Bharat Patel expressed condolences to Patel’s family, emphasizing that such violence has no place in communities.
This tragic event is not the only one in America. Earlier this week, an Indian-American couple and their four-year-old twins were found dead inside their residence in San Mateo, California. A spate of such incidents recently has raised concerns about the safety and security of the people of India who are living in the US.
