A masked attacker walked into a supermarket in the US state of Virginia and shot dead store employee Meghna Patel, 47, from Gujarat, during a suspected robbery attempt.Due to being shot at close range, Meghna died before help could reach her. A native of Jantral village in Mehsana district, she was living in America for 10 years with her husband Upendra Patel and two children.The brutal murder on May 23, which was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras, has shocked Virginia and the Gujarati community in Meghna’s native village. CCTV footage shows the masked man entering the shop, looking around for a while and walking up to the counter, then taking out a weapon hidden near his waist and firing several rounds before fleeing the spot. Sources said the entire incident unfolded within 26 seconds.Local police reached the spot and cordoned off the area. Investigators are examining CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to ascertain the motive behind the murder.Jantral, where Meghna’s parents live, is plunged into grief. Family members said she moved to the US a decade ago for a better future. Her father Karsan Patel told TOI, “Upendra had dropped Meghna at the store 30 minutes before the shooting. Both of them worked in different stores to earn their livelihood.” According to him, the attacker had also shot someone else nearby about an hour ago. US officials have not yet officially disclosed the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting.