Shrewsbury, MA–Snehal Srivastava, 26, was ordered held without bail on Friday after being charged in the fatal shooting of a Shrewsbury father who was calling 911 during a confrontation over graffiti.
According to a report by CBS Boston, Srivastava appeared in Westboro District Court, hiding behind a door during his arraignment. He faces charges of armed assault with intent to murder and carrying a firearm without a license.
The victim, Kevin Doherty, 57, had just dropped off his 6-year-old son at school on Thursday morning when he encountered a man—later identified as Srivastava—spray-painting graffiti on a public path near Jordan Pond.
“He shot me,” victim told 911 dispatcher, as reported by CBS.
Doherty took a photo of the man, then called 911 to report the confrontation. During the call, dispatchers heard multiple gunshots and Doherty’s chilling final words: “He shot me,” according to court documents.
Shrewsbury police rushed to the scene and found Doherty with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was later pronounced dead.
Officers found two photos on Doherty’s phone—one showing a scooter and the other showing Srivastava in the act of spray-painting the ground. Those images were captured just minutes before the fatal shooting.
Long history of violence
According to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Srivastava is known to police and has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2015. Authorities also revealed that police had been called to the same trail just a day earlier when someone painted “Coolidge Street Crips” on the pavement—a tag linked to Srivastava. His house was reportedly covered in gang-related graffiti as well.
A prior case in Westboro in 2022 involved Srivastava allegedly trying to run down a man with a car before attacking him with a machete. That case, officials said, was dismissed only last month.
Arrest and upcoming court date
After Thursday’s shooting, state and local police swarmed Srivastava’s Edgewater Avenue neighborhood. With the help of drones, officers located and arrested him outside his home. Inside, they discovered clothing that matched what he was wearing in the photo Doherty had taken.
Srivastava is next due in court on September 12. His attorney did not answer questions from reporters outside the courtroom.
Click here to read the original CBS story.
