Rohith Sunil Faces Murder Charges in San Leandro Shooting

Rohith Sunil, a 21-year-old San Jose man, faces murder charges in the San Leandro shooting that killed 41-year-old Casey Way as she walked her dogs on the night of July 17, 2025. Prosecutors describe the killing as unprovoked and random, and Sunil faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted on all counts.¹

What Happened the Night of the Shooting

Shortly after 11 p.m., Way and her boyfriend, Allan Wallace, were walking their two dogs near East 14th and Williams streets in San Leandro when a black Mercedes sedan pulled alongside them. The driver, wearing all-black clothing and a black ski mask with a tattoo visible under one eye, got out and asked whether they were in Oakland and how to get to San Jose.²

As Way pulled out her phone to check directions, the man noticed she was wearing a red bandana and asked whether she was in a gang. Both she and Wallace said no. When they tried to walk away, according to the probable cause declaration, Sunil drew a black pistol, pointed it at them, laughed, and racked the slide, ejecting a live 9mm round onto the ground. He then fired a single shot that struck Way in the right side of her torso.³ Way was taken to Eden Hospital, where she died. Wallace and the dogs were not physically harmed.²

How Sunil Was Arrested

About 35 minutes later, at roughly 11:45 p.m., a driver in Dublin called 911 to report that a dark sedan with tinted windows and no license plates was following him. A dispatcher directed the caller to the Dublin Police Services parking lot, where Alameda County sheriff’s deputies found Sunil parked directly behind him. As deputies approached, a 9mm semiautomatic firearm fell from Sunil’s waistband to the ground.⁴ He was still in all-black clothing and a ski mask, with a teardrop tattoo under one eye that matched the description witnesses gave in San Leandro.²

Dublin officers initially had no knowledge of the San Leandro homicide and booked Sunil on gun charges. San Leandro investigators were notified just before midnight. The pistol matched the live round and shell casing recovered from the scene, and the Mercedes matched Wallace’s description. Officers also recovered other items from the car that linked Sunil to the killing.⁵

In a subsequent police interview, Sunil admitted he was the only person in the vehicle that day and that the gun was his, but said he had been “black out” drunk at a friend’s house and denied knowing anything about the shooting.³ He was not registered with the California Department of Justice as the owner of any concealable firearm, and prosecutors have said the murder weapon was a stolen semiautomatic handgun.⁶

The Charges and Where the Case Stands

On July 22, 2025, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Sunil with felony murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded weapon in public. The complaint includes sentencing enhancements for personal use of a firearm causing death and for inflicting great bodily injury.⁷ Convictions on all counts carry up to 50 years to life.¹

Sunil appeared at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on September 25, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail. No preliminary hearing has been held and no trial date has been set.⁸

What Police Have Said About a Motive

Investigators have not identified a motive. Court documents describe the shooting as a “random act,” and San Leandro Police Lt. Matthew Barajas said there is “no indication that the victim or witness knew the suspect.”⁶ Although Sunil asked Way about gang membership and has a teardrop tattoo, police have not publicly linked him to any specific gang or said whether the gang question reflected an actual motive or served as a pretext.²

About Casey Way

Way lived in San Leandro near where she was killed and worked as a caregiver for Alzheimer’s patients. Her father told reporters he was “devastated” and described her as someone who “always put others’ needs first.”¹ Wallace, the only witness, said the shooter gave no warning: he pulled over, asked for directions, fired, laughed, and walked away. “He didn’t try to, like, rob us or hold us up, or anything like that,” Wallace said. “Hunting people down, for what? For no reason whatsoever.”⁶

1
NBC Bay Area. Murder Charge in Deadly Shooting of Woman Walking Dogs in San Leandro
2
KTVU. Suspect in Killing of San Leandro Woman Walking Dog Asked Directions Before Opening Fire
3
ABC News. 21-Year-Old Charged With Murder of Bay Area Woman Walking Dogs
4
ABC7 News. San Jose Man Rohith Sunil Faces Murder Charges in Killing of Woman Walking Dogs in San Leandro
5
Pleasanton Weekly. Murder Charge Filed in Shooting Death of San Leandro Woman
6
KRON4. Boyfriend of Woman Killed in San Leandro Speaks Out
7
Alameda County District Attorney. Man Charged With Murder in Deadly Shooting in San Leandro
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KRON4. Man Accused of Hunting for East Bay Victims Enters Plea