Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders on ID is investigating the murder of Sania Khan by her estranged husband Raheel Ahmad, who shot his wife dead before turning the gun on himself at her apartment in Chicago, Illinois.
Khan and Ahmed had been married less than a year when Khan began having concerns about her husband’s mental health. She realized the couple was incompatible and started fearing for her safety.
The 28-year-old became a popular social influencer when she began documenting her marriage difficulties on TikTok. Khan challenged the stigma surrounding divorce in South Asian communities and tried to help other Pakistani-American women deal with the perceived sense of shame about leaving their husbands.
In one post, Khan wrote, “Going through a divorce as a South Asian woman feels like you failed at life sometimes.”
In another post, she claimed family members told her, “I left my husband I would be letting Shaytan [the devil in Arabic] ‘win,’ that I dress like a prostitute and if I move back to my hometown they’ll kill themselves,”
Unfortunately, in July 2022, her estranged husband traveled to Chicago from his home state of Georgia with hopes of rekindling their marriage. His hopes ended when he shot Khan in the back of the head. The 36-year-old killer then shot himself.
Raheel Ahmad gained access to apartment building and killed Sania Khan
Khan had a restraining order against Ahmad and had changed the locks on the apartment, but the killer still managed to gain access.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe Chicago cops were sent to the crime scene by Ahmad’s family, who had requested a welfare check for him. The police found Khan dead at the scene; Ahmad was still alive but passed away a short time later in the hospital.
The police recovered surveillance footage from a camera in the building’s elevator, which showed Ahmad calmly emerging shortly before he killed Khan.
Sania Khan family blamed building security for her murder
In October 2022, Khan’s family filed a lawsuit against the management and security of Khan’s apartment building, blaming the murder on them for allowing Ahmad access to the building. Khan’s mother, Shazia Khan, said, “If they had run his name through the system, somehow they would find out he was not allowed in there, and my daughter would be alive.”
Khan’s friends described her as a joy to be around, authentic, positive, and selfless, and someone who “would give you the shirt off her back” despite all her personal troubles.
If you or anyone you know is suffering domestic abuse, please contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233) or follow the link to visit their website.
Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders airs Mondays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.