Snehal Srivastava is well known by his neighbors and police and has a long rap sheet dating back to 2015. On November 14, 2018, a police report indicates that Srivastava punched his brother in the face. The case was dismissed on May 14, 2019 in a pretrial probation hearing. On February 5, 2020, Srivastava was charged with 3 counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of home invasion after breaking into a home and threatening the residents with a hammer. He was then acquitted in a bench trial on October 28, 2020. Then, on June 17, 2021, Srivastava sideswiped Joao Barros' car after tailgating him onto the highway.
The most recent incident occurred in 2022 when Srivastava attacked a Northboro man by the name of Nitish Sharma. He attempted to run Sharma over with his vehicle before getting out and slashing at Sharma with a machete. This attack left Sharma with a deep gouge in his hand, which he used to defend himself. Thanks to local bystanders Sharma was able to keep his thumb after the attack. Srivastava and Sharma did not know each other. Despite being deemed mentally capable to stand trial, Srivastava's charges were dropped in July 2025.
Around 9 am on Thursday, August 28, Kevin J. Doherty had just dropped his 6 year-old son off at school and was walking his sons scooter home when he discovered a man allegedly spray painting on the Jordan Pond Trail. Later graffiti was found painted on the trail saying, "Coolidge Street Crips," referencing the Crips, an African-American street gang based in Los Angeles. Coolidge Street does not seem to refer to any nearby streets, but perhaps to Calvin Coolidge Elementary School, which is located near the Jordan Pond Trail. Additionally, there does not seem to be any evidence that the Crips have any ties to this region or to the name "Coolidge Street Crips."
When Doherty discovered the man, allegedly Snehal Srivasta, he photographed him, which seemed to aggravate Srivasta. Doherty then called the police to report the incident. During this phone call the operator heard shots ring out and Doherty said, "He shot me." The nearby elementary school was then placed on lockdown as a preventative measure. When police arrived at the scene, Doherty was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A multi-hour long police search was then conducted resulting in officers surrounding Snehal Srivastava's residence and taking him into custody.
At sentencing he requested to be referred to as Ms. Srivastava or Sasha Srivastava and has been permitted to not be photographed by court photographers due to concerns about his identity. He is currently being held in Western Mass. Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee, MA.