Columbia (South Carolina): An Indian-origin woman, living in the US for the last 23 years, was shot dead by an unidentified man outside her convenience store in the South Carolina district.

It was a robbery attempt, the police said. Kiranben Patel (49), originally from Borsad in Gujarat, ran the DD’s Food Mart on South Pinckney Street. She was at the counter, counting cash, when the masked man entered.

CCTV camera footage revealed that he demanded cash from her. He chased her after she ran out of the store and shot her several times on the parking lot outside. The police said they received a call about a shooting around 10.30 pm and reached the spot. Kiranben’s lifeless body was lying at the parking lot, barely 20 feet from the entrance to the store.

She was hit by more than eight bullets and death was instantaneous, the authorities said. Robbery is suspected to be the primary motive though the possibility of a race crime has not been ruled out altogether.

“Surveillance camera footage shows the man enter the store with a gun in his hand and demand cash from the woman behind the counter. He then starts firing at her before jumping across. The woman tries to escape and runs out to the parking lot. The man chases her and fires several more rounds at her,” an official said.

Pieces of glass, bullet casings and other items have been collected from the spot as evidence.

As displeasure grew among the local Indian community that described her as a hardworking woman, authorities said they have launched an all-out manhunt for the suspect.

Kiranben is survived by two children. Her son lives in the UK and daughter in Canada.