A 49-year-old woman of Gujarati descent, Kiran Patel, was reportedly shot and killed during a robbery attempt at her convenience store, DD’s Food Mart, in Union County, South Carolina, late Tuesday night.
According to police reports, they received a call around 10:30 PM regarding gunfire outside the store located on South Pinckney Street. Officers arrived on the scene to find Patel unresponsive in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services later confirmed her death, and the Union County coroner’s office identified her.
Investigators stated that surveillance footage captured the incident. A masked assailant entered the store armed and demanded money from Patel, who was alone at the time. In the ensuing confrontation, the suspect fired a shot as Patel attempted to defend herself by throwing an object at him. The robber then climbed onto the cash register counter, discharging several more rounds during the incident.