On the night of January 20, 2023, 52-year-old Pinalkumar Patel was killed in a violent ambush in the driveway of his Macon, Georgia, home. Patel had just been picked up from his job at a liquor store on Shurling Drive by his wife, Rupalben Patel, and their daughter, Bhakti. As the family got out of their vehicle just after 11 p.m., three masked men armed with guns emerged from across the street. An argument erupted when Patel confronted them and escalated into gunfire.

Patel was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His wife was shot in the right leg and his daughter in the left shin; both survived and were listed in stable condition. Nothing was reported stolen from the family. A neighbor’s doorbell camera captured the attackers emerging from hiding and running back to a dark-colored four-door car where a fourth person waited; the group then fled.

Investigators identified four suspects and by March 2024 had arrested all four, each charged with felony murder and related counts, and held without bond. The case remained under investigation. If anyone has information about the shooting, please contact the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers.