Shalini Thakur, 38, had spent months reporting increasingly disturbing harassment before she was shot dead outside her workplace in Sacramento, California. Authorities say the man accused of killing her had tracked her with an AirTag, entered her home using a copied key and violated a restraining order intended to protect her.
Thakur was killed Tuesday afternoon outside a Panera Bread restaurant in Sacramento’s Arden-Arcade area, according to reports from The Sacramento Bee and local authorities.
Police allege that 22-year-old Rohit chased Thakur through a shopping-centre parking lot before shooting her multiple times. He fled the scene by car but was later located on Highway 50. A police standoff temporarily disrupted freeway traffic before officers found him inside the vehicle with what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He later died.
The case has since raised questions about whether earlier interventions could have prevented the killing, particularly after Thakur reported stalking and obtained a restraining order.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleShalini Thakur Had Reported Months of Harassment
Thakur’s mother, Sudesh Kumari, told KCRA 3 that her daughter had been frightened by Rohit’s behaviour for months.
Kumari said Rohit repeatedly harassed Thakur and pressured her to marry him, despite her refusal.
“She was so scared of him,” Kumari told the station.
According to reports, Thakur was remembered by family, friends and colleagues as a warm and generous person. She was her mother’s only child. Kumari had also lost her husband two years earlier.
The last conversation between mother and daughter took place by phone at around 2pm on the day Thakur was killed. Thakur reportedly told her mother she would call back in 15 minutes. She never did.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleAn AirTag Was Found Hidden in Her Car
Investigators say the alleged stalking escalated through a series of increasingly intrusive incidents.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento County sheriff’s detectives said Thakur discovered an Apple AirTag hidden under the hood of her car in January. Investigators believe it had been placed there to monitor her movements.
Authorities also allege that Rohit deflated one of her tyres and later appeared when she went to work, offering assistance.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleAnother incident involved Thakur’s apartment. Investigators say Rohit obtained a copy of her key and entered the home while she was sleeping. Authorities have not determined how he allegedly acquired the key.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sergeant Amar Gandhi described the alleged behaviour as an obsession that continued to intensify.
Thakur Eventually Sought a Restraining Order
Thakur first reported the harassment to authorities in March but initially did not pursue criminal charges or request a restraining order, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies nevertheless remained concerned about her safety and continued checking on her.
By May, authorities again encouraged her to seek legal protection. This time, Thakur obtained a restraining order.
Court documents cited by local media reportedly described Rohit’s alleged behaviour, including parking outside Thakur’s home for extended periods and attempting to control who she could associate with.
Thakur also told the court that Rohit had threatened to shoot himself or anyone she was dating, according to reports.
The court order, however, did not end the alleged harassment.
Restraining Order Was Allegedly Violated
On July 29, Thakur reported that Rohit had violated the restraining order by leaving groceries outside her home.
Deputies attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful, authorities said.
Weeks later, the alleged stalking ended in a fatal shooting.
According to sheriff’s officials, Rohit drove to the shopping centre on Howe Avenue shortly before 3pm. Thakur arrived soon afterwards and was dropped off near her vehicle.
Authorities allege that Rohit then pursued her across the parking area and opened fire.
Responding officers found Thakur unresponsive at the scene. She was pronounced dead there.
Suspect Died After Highway 50 Standoff
Witnesses helped investigators identify and trace the vehicle allegedly used by Rohit, leading deputies to Highway 50.
When officers attempted to stop him, he stopped on the freeway, prompting a significant police response and a standoff that temporarily closed or restricted traffic lanes.
Authorities subsequently found Rohit inside the vehicle with a gunshot wound believed to have been self-inflicted. He died shortly afterwards.
Because the accused also died, the investigation is now focused on reconstructing the circumstances surrounding the killing and the events that preceded it.
Immigration Debate Follows the Killing
The case has also become part of a political dispute over US immigration policy.
The US Department of Homeland Security said Rohit was an Indian citizen who entered the United States through Arizona in August 2023. According to DHS, Border Patrol apprehended him before he was released while his immigration case remained pending.
Federal officials subsequently cited the case while criticising immigration policies associated with the previous Biden administration.
However, reports have noted that the full details of Rohit’s immigration status remained unresolved. Federal court records reportedly showed that his immigration case was still pending when the shooting occurred.
A Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman also said the local department did not have access to federal immigration records.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office rejected attempts to make the killing primarily an immigration or sanctuary-state issue, arguing that the central concerns were stalking, domestic violence and the protection of victims.
A Family Left With Questions
For Thakur’s family, the political debate does little to answer the question that remains at the centre of her death: why was she not protected despite repeatedly reporting behaviour that authorities considered concerning?
Thakur had reported harassment, eventually sought a restraining order and reported an alleged violation of that order. Yet authorities say the same man later confronted her outside her workplace.
Kumari had travelled from India expecting to spend an extended period with her daughter. Instead, she is now preparing to return home without her.
Thakur would have turned 39 on September 19. She also leaves behind two dogs, whose care relatives are now working to arrange.
Investigators continue to examine the incidents that preceded the shooting as questions remain over the warning signs, the effectiveness of protective measures and what might have been done differently to keep Thakur safe.
