Shockwaves spread through the Indian-American community at Edison, New Jersey, after news emerged that Amit Patel, 28, who was gunned down by an unidentified assailant in his family-owned liquor shop succumbed to his injuries.
A motive had not been established yet, but the police said that Mr. Patel, who got married a year ago, was alone in the liquor store when the assailant shot him at close range and there was neither any damage to the store nor an indication of a robbery.
The murder came soon after reports of vandalism of a Hindu temple in the state of Washington emerged.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has noted that since July, police have documented 17 separate incidents of anti-Hindu vandalism, including graffiti on street signs and other public property and depicting anti-Hindu messages such as “No Hindus Allowed.”
A report on the attacks cited an incident last August in the state of Georgia, where the Vishwa Bhavan Hindu Mandir there was spray-painted with profanity and damaging graffiti, the temple’s phone lines were cut, and an idol of Lord Shiva was covered in black paint.
In that case, two men were arrested by the Walton County sheriff’s office.
