ATLANTA—The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is highly alarmed and deeply impacted by a disturbing surge of deadly violence targeting hotel owners. In just 72 hours last week, three hoteliers were killed—two in Charlotte, N.C., and one in Pittsburgh.
Anilkumar Patel and Pankaj Patel were fatally shot on Thursday in Charlotte, with a suspect now charged and in custody, while Rakesh Ehagaban was shot and killed Friday in Pittsburgh in an incident in which a police officer also was shot along with the suspect.
The deaths follow the murder of a hotel manager last month in Dallas. That slaying came on the heels of the 2024 murders of hoteliers in Oklahoma City and in Sheffield, Ala.
“These are not just statistics—these are members of our community, our friends, and our colleagues,” said AAHOA Chair Kamalesh (KP) Patel. “Our hearts break for the families of those who lost their lives in these senseless tragedies. No one should ever face such danger while working to serve guests and support their families.”
‘A Critical Wake-up Call’
“These horrifying incidents are a critical wake-up call for law enforcement, policymakers, and the broader hospitality industry,” Patel continued. “AAHOA stands ready to collaborate with every level of government to confront this violence and protect the men and women who keep America’s hotels open and our communities thriving.”
“We are deeply shaken and resolute in our response,” AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake said. “Hotel owners and operators are the backbone of America’s hospitality industry, and their safety must be an absolute priority. AAHOA will immediately convene safety and security experts, coordinate with local authorities, and provide hotel owners with practical tools and resources to strengthen protection measures across their properties. Together, we will honor those we’ve lost by ensuring their tragedies lead to meaningful and lasting change.”
Following the September homicide, AAHOA hosted a dedicated virtual learning session providing actionable guidance to hotel owners and operators. The session covered proven steps to strengthen security, perform due diligence, and mitigate the risk of crime, as well as ways to support teams in processing trauma, accessing counseling resources, and feeling secure at work.
