Pakistan's popular female TikToker with 1.3m followers shot dead in Taxila city

A 28-year-old female TikToker Shamsu Bibi alias Ayesha Gilamana with 1.3 million followers has been shot dead in Taxila city near the federal capital of Pakistan after she was allegedly called out of her home by phone while her younger sister was seriously injured after the firing and a subsequent vehicle accident, police said.

The motorcycle-riding attackers fled the scene after the incident. Police registered a case on the complaint of the deceased woman’s father, Fazal, and began an investigation from different angles.

The first information report (FIR) said on the evening of Aug.14, 28-year-old Shamsu Bibi alias Ayesha, left home in a vehicle with her 15-year-old sister Asmiya Bibi and brother Nematullah.

On the way, motorcycle-riding suspects allegedly targeted the vehicle and opened fire. The TikToker sustained serious bullet wounds, while the vehicle went out of control and crashed during the firing.

The woman died inside the vehicle, while her younger sister was seriously injured and shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Islamabad for medical treatment.

In the FIR, the deceased’s father stated that his daughter had been active on TikTok for approximately three to four years and had around 1.3m followers on her social media account.

He said the deceased had financial dealings with individuals named Kausar and Javed alias Shaheen, and she had allegedly received death threats over demands for repayment of money.

The father told police that before the incident, a man named Kashi had called his daughter and asked her to leave the house. The motorcycle-riding attackers allegedly opened fire on the vehicle while it was on the way.

Police also included the names mentioned in the FIR and the allegations made by the complainant in the investigation. However, the final role of the nominated or suspected individuals will be determined based on the investigation and evidence.

Investigators are attempting to determine the position of the attackers and the nature of the incident through bullet marks on the vehicle, the direction of the firing and other material evidence.

Possible shell casings and other evidence recovered from the scene may also be subjected to forensic analysis to match them with the weapon used. Police are also working to obtain CCTV footage from the route of the incident and surrounding areas to trace the suspected motorcycle, the movement of the attackers and possible escape routes before and after the incident.

Mobile phone records, call data, the deceased’s last contacts and details of relevant numbers may be important in verifying the claim that she was called out of her home.