An Indian American store owner was killed while another was critically injured in two separate shootings carried out by the same man on the night of Feb. 6 in Rome, Georgia.
Parmjit Singh, 44, and Parthey Patel, 30, were shot at while they were inside two different convenience stores. Singh was pronounced dead at the Hi Tech Quick Stop on Burnett Ferry Road by the Floyd County coroner. Patel is in a critical condition.
After shooting Singh, the attacker entered Elm Street Food and Beverage store, where he stole money and shot at Patel, the police said. Patel was taken to Floyd Medical Center where he is recovering from his injuries.
“He’s talking. He’s doing everything fine. He says, ‘Yes, I”m out of the pains,’ and the doctor takes care of it. Thank God for that,” Patel’s boss, Bipin Patel said, according to WSBTV.
The police has taken into custody a suspect, Lamar Rashad Nicholson, 28, on multiple charges, including murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm while committing a crime and use of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond at the Floyd County jail.
The CCTV camera footage shows that the suspect entered Hi Tech Quick Stop and shot Singh three times. The suspect did not try to rob the store. The police is investigating the motive of the killing.
“He didn’t take anything. He didn’t take any money. He didn’t take any articles from the store. He just simply came in and fired off three rounds at the clerk and killed him,” Floyd County police Sgt. William Wacker said, according to WSBTV.
“I still feel like it’s a dream. I can’t tell, like, just trying to pinch myself and I say, ‘Maybe it’s a dream,’ but it’s not,” said the victim’s brother, Serabjeet Singh. He said that Singh came to the area some eight years ago.
Local people placed flowers and candles in Singh’s remembrance.