What was to be a day of celebration became one of tragedy. On his daughter’s third birthday, Amit Kumar Patel, 45, became the victim of a fatal robbery.
WTVM9 reported that Patel was shot on his way to make a bank deposit at Synovus Bank. The homicide occurred at the bank and right next to the Columbus Police Department’s East Precinct. Columbus Police responders found Patel but were unable to resuscitate him. Muscogee County Deputy Coroner Charles Newton pronounced Patel dead just after 10 a.m.
Patel’s death marks the city’s 65th homicide in the city, News Channel 6 found. So far in 2021, Columbus has recorded 21 more homicides than the entirety of 2020.
Patel was the owner of the Chevron Gas Station on Buena Vista Road, just about a mile from the scene of the crime. He worked with partner Vinnie Patel for six years and was described by others as a “hardworking, upstanding citizen,” CBS17 reported. Vinnie helped set up the GoFundMe page, an effort to ease the burden on the family left behind.
Patel, who was the primary breadwinner of his family, is survived by his daughter, his grandmother, and his ailing parents. His wife, Roshni Patel, is now tasked with supporting all of them.
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The Amit Patel GoFundMe page already has over $150,000 dollars in donations, but they are still short of their goal. Organizers say every penny counts to help support the grieving family.
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