Indian-Origin Motel Owner in US Shot Dead in More Gun Violence
Akash Talati was an innocent bystander when a man who had been escorted out of the club shot at the security guard.
A 40-year-old Indian-American owner of a motel in North Carolina has been shot dead in a shootout at a strip club, becoming the latest victim of rampant gun violence in the US.
Akash R Talati, who owned Knights Inn and Diamondz Gentlemen's Club in Fayetteville city, was an innocent bystander when a man who had been escorted out of the club returned and exchanged gunfire with a security guard on Saturday, 11 November, police detective Jamaal Littlejohn said.
Police said they were called to the club at 1:51 am on Saturday.
Littlejohn said Markeese Dewitt, 23, of Fayetteville has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He said Dewitt was shot four or five times and remained in serious condition at Cape Fear Valley Medical Centre, fayobserver.com reported.
He said only Dewitt and the security guard exchanged gunfire. Talati and four others injured were bystanders, he said. One of the victims was in fair condition at the hospital. The two others were treated and released. Talati died at the hospital.
Talati is reportedly from Anand in Gujarat.
Police have not released the names of three other people who were injured. Littlejohn said they included the security guard and a female employee of the club who operated the cash register.
Littlejohn said security escorted Dewitt out of the club because he had caused a disturbance. He said Dewitt appeared to have gone to his vehicle, got a gun, went back inside the club and started shooting.
Littlejohn said police have no idea what caused Dewitt to get kicked out of the club.
"All we know is he got put out, he goes and gets a gun and it goes crazy from there," Littlejohn said.
Detectives are actively investigating the homicide and shooting and have appealed to the public to contact them if they have any information on the incident.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of 6 November, there have been 307 mass shootings in the US in 2017. A total of 530 people have died in mass shootings in 2017.
The total number of criminal gun deaths in America this year, as of 6 November, is 13,164.
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