Rohit Rohit, 22, was identified by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office as the man who fatally shot a 38-year-old woman outside a restaurant in Sacramento’s Arden Arcade area on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Investigators said Rohit had stalked and harassed the woman for months before the shooting and later died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a confrontation with deputies on Highway 50.
Here are five key things known about the suspect and the case.
1. Who was Rohit Rohit?
Rohit was 22 years old and was identified by Sacramento County sheriff’s officials as the suspected gunman in the September 8 shooting near a Panera Bread on Howe Avenue.
According to Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Rohit and the victim worked for different employers but had been friends and had known each other for about two years.
Gandhi said investigators were still working to learn more about both Rohit and the victim.
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2. What happened before the shooting?
Sheriff’s investigators said Rohit had been stalking and harassing the woman since at least January.
{{/usCountry}}Sheriff’s investigators said Rohit had been stalking and harassing the woman since at least January.
{{/usCountry}}The woman discovered an Apple AirTag hidden under the hood of her vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators also said Rohit once deflated a tire on her vehicle and followed her to work, apparently so he could offer assistance.
In another incident, authorities said Rohit obtained a copy of the woman’s apartment key and entered her home while she was sleeping. The next morning, he reportedly told her he had entered because he was concerned something had happened to her after she failed to answer.
Gandhi described the behavior as increasingly alarming.
3. Did the woman have a restraining order?
Yes, the Sheriff’s Office said deputies remained in contact with the woman after she initially declined to pursue criminal charges or seek a restraining order.
Deputies again urged her to obtain one in May, after which she obtained a restraining order.
On July 29, she reported that Rohit had violated the order by leaving random grocery items at her front door, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies attempted to contact Rohit but were unsuccessful.
4. How did the shooting happen?
Investigators said Rohit arrived at a shopping center on Howe Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. on September 8. The woman was dropped off at her vehicle a short time later.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Rohit approached and confronted her. When she tried to run away, he chased her, pulled out a firearm and shot her multiple times.
The Sheriff’s Office said Rohit then approached her as she lay on the ground and shot her in the head at close range.
The 38-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name had not been released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office at the time of the report.
5. How did Rohit die?
Witnesses provided deputies with a description of Rohit’s vehicle, which was entered into the Sheriff’s Office’s FLOCK automated license plate reader system.
Deputies assigned to Sacramento Regional Transit located the vehicle near Highway 50 and Howe Avenue minutes later, according to authorities.
When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, Rohit slammed on his brakes and stopped on the freeway. After deputies called out to him, they found him dead inside the vehicle from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities said Rohit had no known criminal history. Investigators were still trying to determine how he obtained the firearm and what immediately preceded the shooting.
The homicide investigation remained ongoing, with detectives seeking witnesses and additional information about the victim and Rohit, according to the Sheriff’s Office.