Family and friends of Amit Patel are puzzled about the shooting death of the 28-year-old at a liquor store owned by his father in Irvington, New Jersey, Feb. 15 afternoon. Authorities are trying to find a motive behind the shooting, in what they originally described as a botched robbery attempt, as nothing seems stolen from the store, and there appears to be no sign of a struggle.
Patel, of Edison, died a short time after he was found inside Roseway Liquors, owned by his family, suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Acting Irvington Police Director Musa Malik said in a statement.
Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, told News India Times the incident remained under investigation, and that the office had no new information to share about any potential motive or suspects as of Feb. 20.Further details on the shooting have not been disclosed, including what type of weapon was used, but no other injuries were reported. Officials say it’s not clear if Patel was shot during a botched robbery, since it did not appear that anything was stolen from the business.
Patel got married just a year ago, and worked at his father’s store seven days a week. Friends described him as kind and hard-working, and “everybody’s friend.”
According to close family friends, Patel was manning the family’s liquor store alone on Feb. 15 afternoon, while his father, who owned the store, was in the back office. “Somebody came in, shot him – fell down here,” family friend Rakesh Patel told nj.com. Another friend described the victim as a “nice guy.”
Patel’s shooting is the latest incident in the township that has seen a string of robberies in the last six months. In October, two employees were critically wounded during an armed robbery at Kings Farm Food Store owned by Hasmukh Patel, nj.com reported.
Earlier that summer, Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers, announced the formation of a special task force to investigate and combat a rash of shootings that has plagued the community as of late.