Woman shot, killed by estranged husband in Streeterville murder-suicide had been posting about divorce, fears
CHICAGO (CBS) -- This week, a woman was shot and killed by her estranged husband inside her Streeterville condo before he took his own life.
Before their deaths, the victim was open about their ongoing divorce – and wanted to be a voice for others going through a tough time.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar spoke Wednesday to people who knew the 29-year-old victim, Sania Khan.
Khan usually expressed herself behind the camera. She was a professional photographer who moved to Chicago last June.
But in recent months, she had been in front of the lens on TikTok, where she has openly documented her divorce from a man she describes as toxic.
Khan also posted about the cultural stigma of divorce in the South Asian community. In one video she wrote: "Going through a divorce as a South Asian woman feels like you failed at life sometimes."
In another post, she said: "It's painful to walk away from someone you once loved. But it's even more painful to love someone who is careless with your heart."
On Monday, Khan was shot and killed inside her unit in the Grand Ohio condo complex, 211 E. Ohio St. Sources say her ex-husband traveled to Chicago from Georgia, shot Khan, and then killed himself.
"Just speechless," said Justin Matarrese. "You don't accept it as being true. It still doesn't feel true. It feels really unfair."
Khan was the photographer for a high school mock trial team. Matarrese got to know Khan in his role as executive director of the program, Empire Mock Trial.
"Loving, compassionate, energetic, full of life - she made the kids feel special," Matarrese said. "You can feel her personality her very presence in all of her work."
Kavita Dsouza is with Apna Ghar. The Chicago organization works with survivors of gender-based violence.
"Divorce is a stigma in not just South Asian families, but also at large for many communities. Gender-based violence is about power and control - and that's what unfortunately what we saw unfold on, Monday tragically," Dsouza said. "Lethality increases when somebody leaves a relationship, and the second time is when they get a divorce."
A friend of Khan's wrote on Facebook: "My friend was someone who took all the right steps. She left. She had a restraining order. She changed her locks."
"It's very tragic because she did what she could in her control," Dsouza said, "and you cannot predict what's going to happen or what an abuser's going to do."
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, trying to get out, and needs some help, call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline, at (800) 799-SAFE. You can also text "START" to 88788.
Illinois residents may also call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at (877) TO END DV or (877) 863-6338 (voice); or (877) 863-6339 (TTY). More than 32,000 people contacted the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline last year – up 6 percent from 2020.