An Indian origin Long Island smoke shop owner was found murdered inside his store, according to police. Kinshuk Patel, 33, was found dead inside the Dapper Smoke Shop in Lindenhurst, by a family member who grew concerned after being unable to contact him, according to ABC 7. The incident happened on Wednesday.
The chilling murder has left everyone shocked including the police as they believe Patel didn't have any criminal record nor did he have any enemies who could have harmed him. An investigation has been launched but not arrests have been made yet. The victim's family also is clueless about the horrifying murder.
Mysteriously Murdered
Patel, known to the family as 'Mickey', was found dead inside his store in the 400 block of 40th Street in Lindenhurst around 9:40 pm on Wednesday. According to police, family members tried to contact Patel for a long time but couldn't get in touch with him.
Patel's wife had gone looking for him, said his uncle, Prateek Patel. "She found the car, Mickey wasn't there, the store was open, we didn't see anybody inside, she was scared to get in," he said.
After some time, relatives grew suspicious and decided to inform police. Officers responding to the call immediately reached the scene and broke open the door of his store only to found Patel lying on the floor. He was immediately rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead. Police have not released the cause of death but are investigating it as a homicide. And investigation has been launched into the incident but not arrests have been made.
Police have also not ruled out an altercation with a customer resulting in his death. Interestingly, there were no other customers inside the store when Patel was murdered. Inside the store, there were items scattered across the ground and shattered glass.
Authorities haven't also revealed how or with what he was murdered. The department's press office said he was "a victim of violence," but did not elaborate.
Family Clueless
Much like the police, Patel's family too is shocked about the incident given that they claim he didn't have enmity with anyone. Patel was the father of two children, a 4-year-old and a 5-month-old. His wife is devastated, said Patel's aunt, Trupti Patel.
"He's the kindest soul I've ever known," she said. "Always, always, always smiling." She said Kinshuk Patel was not the type of person who would fight back, even if someone was attacking him. The cause of death has not been released, and there was no immediate word on any arrests in the case. However, police believe that the crime could also have been committed by someone who Patel knew.
