Sacramento County officials said in a statement that a 38-year-old local woman was fatally shot on Sept. 8 in a shopping center parking lot. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified her on Sept. 10 as Shalini Thakur. The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office said 22-year-old Rohit Rohit fired the shots near a Panera Bread on Howe Avenue.
Sheriff’s officials said Rohit pulled into the lot in his vehicle just before 3 p.m., moments before Thakur was dropped off at her parked car. They said he walked up to her and started to accost her. CBS News Sacramento reported that sheriff’s footage showed Thakur running from him as he chased her on foot through the lot.
The sheriff’s office said he then drew a firearm and fired multiple rounds at her. Officials said that once she was on the ground, he stepped over her and shot her in the head at close range. They said he drove away and later died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot after slamming on the brakes on Highway 50 as deputies tried to stop his vehicle.
Sheriff’s detectives tied the killing to months of reported harassment and a copied apartment key
Detectives said they later found that Rohit had been harassing and stalking Thakur since at least January, after she found an Apple AirTag under the hood of her car. Stalking by delivery drivers is a documented concern, such as when a woman found a DoorDash driver lurking on her porch to confront her over a tip.
A restraining order obtained by KCRA 3 stated that he allegedly started stalking her in September 2025. CBS News Sacramento reported that she said she recognized him as a DoorDash driver who picked up orders from the IHOP where she worked. Such concerns about driver behavior have surfaced elsewhere, as in a Wisconsin case where a DoorDash driver sent personal messages and asked for a phone number after a no-contact delivery.
The sheriff’s office said one episode involved him letting air out of her tires, then following her to work to offer help. Officials also said he got a copy of her apartment key, went inside while she was asleep, and told her the next morning that he had entered because he was worried something had happened when she did not answer him.
The same restraining order obtained by KCRA 3 stated that Rohit tried to force her into marriage. The sheriff’s office said she first declined to press charges or seek a restraining order, then obtained one in May after deputies urged her to do so. Officials said she contacted them on July 29 to report that he had violated the order by leaving random grocery items at her front door.
The Department of Homeland Security said Rohit entered the United States illegally through Arizona in August 2023, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, and was later released into the country.
The organizer of a GoFundMe set up to help her family with funeral costs called the slaying “an unimaginable loss” and described Thakur as “a caring, loving, selfless, and generous young woman who gave so much of herself to others. She was always willing to support people in need, and her kindness left a lasting impact on so many lives. Her presence mattered deeply to the people who knew and loved her.”
Published: Sep 16, 2026 06:30 am