CCTV Footage Shows African-American Shooting Indian-Origin Motel Manager at Point-Blank Range In Pittsburgh

A chilling CCTV video has emerged showing the moment an African-American man shot Indian-origin motel manager Rakesh Patel at point-blank range outside the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township, Pennsylvania. The footage, now circulating in local media, shows Patel calmly stepping out of the motel to check on a disturbance — seconds before being fatally shot in the head.

According to the criminal complaint and footage reviewed by police, Patel, 50, had walked out after hearing a commotion involving a couple in the motel’s parking lot on October 3, 2025. The video shows him approaching the armed suspect and asking, “Are you alright, bud?” Moments later, the man, identified as Stanley Eugene West (37), raised his gun and shot Patel at point-blank range.

Police said Patel, who was originally from Rayam village in Bardoli, Gujarat, died on the spot. The woman involved in the argument survived, though details of her condition remain unclear.

After the shooting, West reportedly fired at responding police officers before being overpowered and taken into custody. He is currently hospitalised in critical condition under police guard.

Local reports said Patel’s wife, Hemu, also worked at the same motel. The couple had visited India in October 2024 to celebrate a family wedding and Raksha Bandhan before resuming work in the US.

Police have recovered the firearm used in the shooting and confirmed that the incident was captured entirely on the motel’s surveillance cameras. The investigation is ongoing.

The killing has sent shockwaves through the Indian community in Pennsylvania and back home in Gujarat. Patel is now the third Indian-origin individual to be killed in the US within the last 30 days, underscoring growing concerns over the safety of Indian immigrants in America.

On September 10, a 50-year-old Indian-origin motel manager in the US was beheaded in front of his wife and son in Texas following a dispute over a washing machine.

On October 3, a 27-year-old Chandrashekar Pole, who was from Hyderabad, was reportedly shot dead while he was working at a gas station in Dallas.

ALSO READ: Texas Man Who Shot Indian Student At US Gas Station Arrested, Booked For Homicide