What We Know About the Sacramento Panera Shooting that Killed Shalini Thakur
Authorities say the 22-year-old suspect had stalked Shalini Thakur for months before the fatal shooting and later died during a deputy pursuit.
- On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 22-year-old Rohit Rohit shot and killed 38-year-old Shalini Thakur outside a Sacramento Panera Bread, then died by suicide during a standoff with deputies along Highway 50.
- Authorities report Rohit had stalked Thakur for months, with behavior that "progressively escalated in frequency and severity," yet investigators could not locate him after he violated a May restraining order in July.
- Documentation reveals Rohit tracked Thakur using an Apple AirTag, deflated her tires, and entered her apartment while she slept; her mother, Sudesh Kumari, stated the system failed her daughter, asserting, "She could have been saved."
- Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said deputies used license plate readers to locate the suspect's vehicle within seven minutes, though they lacked authority to intervene further without successfully serving the restraining order violation.
- Homeland Security confirmed Rohit, an Indian national, entered the United States in 2023 and was released by Border Patrol, prompting scrutiny of immigration policies for migrants arriving from distant countries.
20 Articles
20 Articles
A woman in Sacramento, California, was shot and killed by a man who had been stalking her for months. Rohit, a 20-year-old Indian national who was known to police for his escalating behavior toward Shalini Thakur, 38, had been in the United States illegally for more than three years. The gunman fled from officers after the murder and eventually turned the gun on himself.
The Independent
The Independent (US)Murder of California woman sparks outrage over police failure to stop stalker
Shalini Thakur Murder Video: Chilling California Footage Shows Suspect Rohit Chasing Woman Before Shooting
California police have released video showing the moments before Indian-origin woman Shalini Thakur was chased and shot dead outside a restaurant in Sacramento last week. The 38-year-old was attacked outside a Panera Bread restaurant on Howe Avenue on September 8, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. Shalini Thakur Murder Video: Chilling California Footage Shows Suspect Rohit Chasing Woman Before Shooting.
By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN A woman from California died last week in Sacramento after being shot by a man who, according to the authorities, had been harassing her for months and who, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), resided in the country illegally.
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