Gujarati Man Killed in US Armed Robbery

A tragedy has struck Dingucha village in Gujarat, where a resident was killed in a brazen armed robbery in the United States. Paresh Patel, 30, who worked as a clerk in a convenience store in Tennessee, was shot at point-blank range during an attempted robbery. The suspect, identified as David Hamilton, was arrested within hours of the incident. This is the fourth fatal shooting of a Gujarati person in robberies in the US this year, and the community is grappling with the loss of another loved one.

Key Takeaways:

  • Paresh Patel, a 30-year-old Gujarati man from Dingucha village, was killed in an armed robbery at a convenience store in Tennessee, USA.
  • The suspect, identified as David Hamilton, was arrested within hours of the incident by the Lewisburg police department.
  • Patel was a clerk at the store and was shot multiple times at point-blank range despite complying with the assailant's demands.
  • The suspect fled the scene with cash, returned to check if Patel was alive, and fired another round before leaving again.
  • This is the fourth fatal shooting of a Gujarati person in robberies in the US this year, following similar incidents in Virginia and Canada.
  • Patel had been living in the US for 10 years with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, and was the sole breadwinner for his family.
  • A crowdfunding appeal has been launched to help Patel's family, with community members describing him as a friendly person who was well-known in the area.
  • Two men were convicted in 2024 for their role in a human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of four members of a Gujarati family near the US-Canada border in 2022.

Statistics:

  • Number of fatal shootings of Gujarati people in robberies in the US in 2025: 4
  • Number of people killed in the Virginia incident: 3
  • Names of victims in the Virginia incident: father and daughter
  • Number of years Patel had been living in the US: 10
  • Amount of reward offered by the Lewisburg police department for information on the shooter: $10,000
  • Sentence of the two men convicted in 2024 for human smuggling: convicted
  • Year the human smuggling operation occurred: 2022
  • Location of the human smuggling operation: near Emerson, Manitoba
  • Number of people found dead from the human smuggling operation: 4
  • Age of the youngest victim: 3
  • Age of the oldest victim: 39

Sources:

  • Ahmedabad Times
  • Lewisburg police department
  • Crowdfunding appeal
  • CNN