HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Customers of the Tobacco Town Convenience Store on Wilkinson Road were greeted by evidence tape instead of the pleasant store clerk that worked "10 to 10," according to those who knew Raj Patel.
Police said a store employee was found dead on the sidewalk after they received a call for shots fired at the Chamberlayne Farms Shopping Center around 10 Friday night.
Family members on scene told CBS 6 that Raj Patel was the victim.
"I'm so devastated," cried one customer. "It blew my mind."
Detectives sealed off the front door to the business with evidence tape and posted a Do Not Enter sign on the glass.
Robin Holloway, who works a few doors down from the murder scene, said she's afraid to go to work after the shooting.
Robin Holloway works near Friday night's crime scene.
"It’s a little unsettling something this close to where I work happened," said Holloway. "Now you have a family grieving, people are afraid, and you got somebody running around."
Nearby business owners said the store was robbed at gunpoint by masked men about a month ago.
Police said the majority of the businesses in the area were already closed and no one else was injured.
Patel leaves behind a wife and two young twin sons, according to his family.
Police have not released any information on a possible suspect at this time. The shooting is still under investigation.
Anyone with information was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
