- 29-year-old Sania Khan was killed by her former husband on July 18 in a murder-suicide, police say.
- A friend of Khan's told local media she believes he learned of her new life plans through her social media.
- Khan had posted excitedly about her divorce and future life on TikTok.
A Chicago woman who posted regularly about her divorce on TikTok was killed by her former partner in a murder-suicide, multiple reports said.
29-year-old Sania Khan had split from Raheel Ahmad, 36, months before they were found dead together on July 18 at her home, according to ABC News, even though Ahmad lived hundreds of miles away in Georgia.
Both had gunshot wounds to the head, and Ahmad was holding a 9mm Glock pistol, a police report seen by Law & Crime said.
Khan, a photographer, made a series of TikToks documenting the end of her marriage. Insider reviewed an account, with the handle "@geminigirl_099 / Sania," which matched her biography.
It is unclear exactly how far the divorce had progressed. Two friends told The Chicago Sun-Times that the process had finalized, while police reports suggest it was still in process, per the paper.
Her posts were often upbeat and reflected excitement for a new stage of life despite what she said was strong disapproval from her Pakistani-American family.
In mid-June, one of her last posts, demonstrated her "#breakupglowup" with before-and-after photos titled "his wife" and "his ex" — showing a marked transition from casual to dressy clothing.
Another post, on June 14, excitedly discussed a tattoo she got to celebrate turning 29. "When you reclaim your autonomy as a 28 year old South Asian woman whose always been a people pleaser," she wrote.
Another post on July 6, labeled "#muslimparents," reflected on her family's reaction to the divorce proceedings.
"You think you can hurt me? My family members told me if I left my husband I would be letting Shaytan [evil] 'win,' that I dress like a prostitute, and if I move back to my hometown they'll kill themselves." It was set to the song "Bulletproof" by La Roux.
"Going through a divorce as a South Asian woman feels like you failed at life sometimes," she wrote in another post in early June, saying she had had a lack of community support.
Ahmad was reported missing by his family after traveling from his home in Georgia, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing police.
Police there told their Chicago counterparts that he was "going through a divorce" and that Ahmad had gone to Chicago "to salvage his marriage," the paper reported.
Chicago police heard a gunshot after they knocked on the door at around 4.30 p.m. Monday, the Sun-Times reported. When they entered, they found a suicide note with Ahmad, the paper cited police as saying. Khan was already dead, and Ahmad died later in the hospital, the paper reported.
A photography portfolio identified by the Chicago Sun-Times as Khan's describes her enthusiam for "making people fall in love with themselves and one another in front of the camera," she wrote.
Khan had been planning to embark on the next stage of her life with a friend, Gabriella Bordo, and to move back to their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Bordo, who flew to Chicago to help Khan move, learned of the death the day she landed, the paper reported. She told the paper that she believed Ahmad learned of the plans to move from her social-media pages.
"He knew that was his last opportunity, his last time to get her alone," Bordo told the paper.