Pakistani TikTok creator Shamso Bibi, also known as Ayesha Gilamana, was shot dead in Taxila near Islamabad, over an alleged financial dispute. The 28-year-old influencer had more than 1.3 million TikTok followers and over 30 million likes.
The incident triggered a police investigation and renewed concerns over violence against women with prominent social-media profiles. Bibi, with her teenage sister and her brother were travelling in a car when two unidentified men on a motorcycle allegedly intercepted the vehicle and opened fire. A bullet struck Bibi in the neck, killing her. The vehicle subsequently crashed, seriously injuring her 15-year-old sister, reported by NDTV.
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According to a police complaint filed by Bibi's father, she had previously received threats linked to a financial dispute involving two men. Her family suspects that the dispute and alleged money demands may have been connected to the killing. They have not attributed the attack directly to her social-media activities.
Police registered a murder case and launched an investigation. Several suspects have reportedly been detained or arrested, including individuals accused of helping the suspected gunman escape, while the alleged shooter remained at large at the time of filing the report.
CCTV footage reportedly shows two men on a motorcycle approaching the vehicle before one of them allegedly opened fire at close range. The footage is expected to form part of the police investigation into the attack.
Bibi had been active on TikTok for several years and had built a substantial online following. Following her death, her family deleted her TikTok account, while her YouTube presence also appeared to have been removed.
Investigators have yet to establish a definitive motive, with the family's allegations about the financial dispute remaining a key line of inquiry, as per NDTV.
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The case remains under scrutiny as police continue efforts to identify and apprehend the suspected shooter and determine the circumstances behind the attack.
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