Vasudev Patel, a 49-year-old Hindu Indian immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, was killed on October 4, 2001, in Mesquite, Texas. Patel had moved to Texas from India in 1983 and was working at a gas station when an attempted armed robbery ended with him being fatally shot. The attack was captured on a store security camera.

The shooter was identified as Mark Anthony Stroman, a 32-year-old American who carried out a shooting spree after the September 11 attacks and targeted people he believed to be of Middle Eastern descent. Stroman was arrested, charged with capital murder, convicted and sentenced to death. One surviving victim, Bangladeshi immigrant Rais Bhuiyan, was shot in the spree and later publicly forgave Stroman and sought to stop his execution.

Patel’s death became part of a larger conversation about post-9/11 hate crimes and xenophobia. Did anyone in Mesquite or the wider community have contact with Patel around October 4, 2001, who can share memories or details about him?