The Gujarati community, the Patels in particular, is known for owning and running profitable businesses across the US. But a pattern of the community's vulnerability to crime while operating businesses has emerged in recent years. This year alone, there have been at least seven deaths of Gujaratis operating or owning motels in the US. The most recent incident was reported on Monday, from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where Rakesh Patel (50), a native of Surat, was shot point-blank in the head. Patel, who was a partner in the motel, worked as the manager there.
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Another incident was reported on October 5, when Anil Patel and Pankaj Patel, with roots in Gujarat, were shot dead at a motel in North Carolina. This came months after a Gujarati woman and her father were gunned down in South Carolina during an attempted robbery at a convenience store.
Reports suggest that most attacks on Gujaratis in the US have been linked to robberies or disputes at motels, gas stations, and convenience stores—businesses the community is known to own.
These businesses, especially motels and gas stations, are often tucked along highways, or in isolated towns, according to a New York Times report, making t
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