Sacramento, September 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A 38-year-old Indian-origin woman was shot dead outside a restaurant in Sacramento, California, allegedly by a 22-year-old man from India who had been accused of stalking and harassing her for months.
The victim, identified as Shalini Thakur of Sacramento, was attacked on September 8 in a shopping plaza near Howe Avenue and Northrop Avenue as she arrived for work.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged assailant, identified as Rohit Rohit, approached Thakur near her vehicle. She attempted to flee, but he allegedly chased her and fired multiple shots.
Authorities said that after Thakur fell to the ground, the assailant shot her again in the head at close range before fleeing in a vehicle.
Police were able to trace the suspect within minutes. He was subsequently located on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue, where a standoff followed. Authorities later found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators said the killing followed an extended period of alleged stalking and harassment.
Documents relating to a restraining order sought by Thakur indicate that she knew Rohit through DoorDash pickups from her workplace. She alleged that his behaviour progressively became more intrusive and threatening.
Among the incidents detailed by authorities and in the restraining-order proceedings were allegations that Rohit placed an Apple AirTag under the hood of Thakur’s vehicle to track her movements, deflated her tyres and repeatedly waited outside her residence.
He was also accused of obtaining a copy of her apartment key and entering her home while she was asleep.
Thakur further alleged that Rohit attempted to pressure her into marrying him and sought to prevent her from socialising with others. According to the restraining-order filing, he had also allegedly threatened to kill both Thakur and himself.
Authorities had encouraged Thakur to obtain a restraining order, which was subsequently served on Rohit on May 19. He was later accused of violating the order in July by leaving grocery items outside her residence.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meanwhile, said Rohit was an Indian national who had entered the United States through Arizona without documentation in August 2023.
According to DHS, he was apprehended by the US Border Patrol after entering the country but was subsequently released into the United States during the Biden administration.
DHS used the case to criticise the previous administration’s immigration policies. Its assertions concerning Rohit’s immigration history and the circumstances of his release are separate from the local law-enforcement investigation into Thakur’s killing.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper described the attack as particularly brutal, saying Thakur had been chased down before being shot at close range.
Thakur’s family remembered her as a caring, loving, selfless and generous woman who readily supported people in need.
The case has drawn attention not only because of the brutality of the killing but also because of the documented allegations of stalking and harassment that preceded it.
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