Donations being accepted for family of two killed in Thursday homicide

By Linda Cicoira

Donations are being accepted on a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs for a father and daughter who died after being shot last week at the family’s Accomac Shore Stop, where they worked.

Fifty-six-year-old Pradipkumar Ratilal Patel, the store manager, died at the Lankford Highway scene. His daughter, 24-year-old Urmi Patel, was rushed to a Virginia Beach hospital and succumbed to her injuries a couple of days later. Donations will also help offset her medical care and give ongoing support to their survivors.

Navinchandra P Patel, a relative, organized the fundraiser. A funeral is scheduled for Thursday, March 27. There were no further details available at this time. The fundraiser is already about halfway to the $40,000 goal. Donations can be made at https://gofund.me/408f69ee.

“In this heartbreaking time, we are turning to you for support,” she wrote. “The emotional pain of losing a loved one is unimaginable, and the financial burden of arranging a proper funeral, medical costs, and supporting the grieving family is overwhelming. We want to give them the farewell they deserve and ease the burden on their loved ones during this painful time.”

“They were taken from us far too soon … This tragedy has left not only a broken family but also an entire community deeply mourning their loss,” she continued. “The bond between a father and his daughter is genuinely one of a kind. All family members lived together under one roof … This tragic incident has left the family with profound sorrow, a loss that is incredibly difficult to bear.”

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, compassion, and love,” Yogi Patel, Urmi Patel’s spouse, wrote on the page.

“We know that not everyone may be able to contribute financially, but your thoughts, prayers, and sharing this campaign with others would mean the world to us,” the site stated. “Every small act of kindness helps and will make a difference …”

The Accomack County Sheriff’s Office was notified at about 5:30 a.m., March 20 of the shooting. When deputies arrived, they discovered the unresponsive man. A search of the building led to the discovery of the woman. Autopsy results are pending for both victims.

Forty-four-year-old George Frazier Devon Wharton, of Onancock, is being held in Accomack Jail with bond denied. He was initially charged with first-degree murder of Pradipkumar Ratilal Patel, attempted first-degree murder of Urmi Patel, two counts of using a firearm in the shootings, and possession of a firearm by a felon. The attempted charge is likely to turn into another first-degree murder charge.