Indian-origin woman shot dead in California after months of alleged stalking

Washington,UPDATED: Sep 13, 2026 00:58 IST

A 38-year-old Indian-origin woman was shot dead outside a restaurant in California on September 8, allegedly by a 22-year-old man from India who had been stalking her for months, the US Department of Homeland Security said. The woman, identified as Shalini Thakur, was killed at a shopping centre in Sacramento.

The accused, identified as Rohit, later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police stand-off on a freeway, authorities said. The Department of Homeland Security said Rohit was from India, had entered the United States through Arizona in 2023, and was arrested by the US Border Patrol before being released by the Biden administration. The exact details of his immigration status were not immediately clear as of Friday.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Rohit approached Thakur at the Arden Arcade shopping centre and shot her after a chase. Witnesses then gave investigators details about his vehicle, which was found on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue. Deputies tried to pull him over, but he stopped on the freeway, triggering a police stand-off that held up traffic for hours. He was later found slumped over in the driver's seat with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators later found that Rohit had been harassing and stalking Thakur since at least January, after she found an Apple AirTag under the bonnet of her car. The report said he had also deflated the air in her car tyres and followed her to work so that he could offer help. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said he had also obtained a copy of her apartment key and entered her home while she was asleep.

Sudesh Kumari, Thakur's mother, told KCRA 3 that she had spoken to her daughter by phone at about 2 pm on Tuesday. Thakur told her she would call back in 15 minutes, but she never did. The conversation took place about an hour before she was killed.

Sergeant Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, said the two worked for different employers but were friends and had known each other for a couple of years, the Sacramento Bee reported on Friday. As Rohit's behaviour worsened in January, Gandhi told reporters on Wednesday, "He, obviously, developed a real fixation on her." Thakur first reported the incidents to authorities in March, but initially chose not to seek criminal charges or a restraining order, according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies again urged her in May to get a restraining order, which she did.

In her court petition for a restraining order, Thakur wrote that she knew Rohit as a DoorDash delivery driver and that he would park outside her home for hours and speak to her every day. DoorDash said on Friday that it was cooperating with the Sheriff's Office investigation. "This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with Thakur's family and loved ones as they grieve this immense loss," a DoorDash spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Sacramento Bee.

The case centres on the killing of Shalini Thakur in California after months of alleged stalking by Rohit, who later died during a police stand-off, with investigators and officials piecing together the events leading up to the shooting.

With PTI Inputs

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