ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A Rowan County community is mourning the loss of beloved storeowner Mainank Patel after he was shot and killed last week while he was working.
Patel was known for his kindness, his warmth, and for his generosity.
“It doesn’t seem real,” Keisha Lambert, a long-time customer, said. “Anytime you come to these doors, you get both of them him and his wife…smiles and laughs…they are really the definition of kindness."
"If people didn’t have the ability to cover what they needed at the moment he would take care of it and would tell them to take care of it when you can," Tim Roche said. "He was always friendly, and a good guy. He seemed like he would do anything for anybody."
"The most caring man you would ever meet! Gone but will never be forgotten," Pam Baugh added.
A GoFundMe page for the family says he was a true example of selflessness. Patel never hesitated to lend a hand or share a smile. His loss is felt by many.
Patel was 36 years old. He leaves behind his 7-and-a-half-month pregnant wife and their 5-year-old daughter. With another baby on the way, his family now faces an unimaginable journey without him.
The page has already raised over $100,000.
“They have funeral expenses they have medical expenses, they have a baby coming,” said Roche who says he did not hesitate to donate. “At the end of the day, it is the loss of two lives. I wish the kid would have made a better choice. But he made the wrong choice and it cost a family their husband and father.”
The Rowan County Sheriff's Office has arrested a male teen in connection with a shooting that killed a Salisbury store owner.
The incident happened on Airport Road near Miller Chapel Road. The Rowan County Sheriff's Office released a photo showing a tall, slender masked man running with what appears to be a pistol in his hand. The man was wearing black shorts, a black hoodie, a ski mask, and white Nike sneakers.
In an update released later Tuesday afternoon, the RCSO said that they responded to a call about a shooting at the Tobacco House store on Airport Road.
Officers found Patel, the owner of the Tobacco House, who had been shot several times. After being taken to two hospitals for treatment, Patel died from his gunshot injuries.
Deputies searched the area using RCSO K-9s and an NCSHP helicopter. The suspect was later arrested.
The name of the suspect will not be released due to his age.
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