On the evening of November 24, 2017, Vijaykumar Patel, 57, was shot and killed during an attempted armed robbery at the Save-Mart Grocery on Manning Avenue in Sumter, South Carolina. Patel owned and operated the store for about seven years and was described as a kind, generous member of the community who sometimes extended credit to customers in need.

Two masked individuals armed with handguns entered the store just before 7:00 p.m. and ordered two female customers to the ground. Shots were fired during the incident; Patel sustained several gunshot wounds to his chest and was found unresponsive by law enforcement and emergency medical personnel and pronounced dead at the scene. The two customers were not physically injured.

The Sumter Police Department identified and arrested two suspects within a week, charging them with murder, attempted armed robbery, two counts of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. If anyone has information about Vijaykumar Patel, the events that night, or the people involved, please share what is known.