Influencer Sana Yousaf Dead At 17

Pakistani influencer Sana Yousaf has died at the age of 17 after being killed in a "gruesome" murder committed by a man she repeatedly rejected online, police confirmed via the New York Post.

Sana was gunned down at her home in Islamabad by an intruder Monday (June 2) night who was reported to have sent persistent messages to her online prior to the incident. Police said the suspect was loitering outside before entering Sana's home, at which point he fired shots repeatedly, killing her instantly after she was struck directly twice.

The suspect then stole Yousaf's phone and fled the scene. Police arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of murder and recovered the weapon used during the shooting, as well as the victim's phone.

Islamabad Police Chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the incident stemmed from "repeated rejections."

“The boy was trying to reach out to her time and again,” Rizvi said via the New York Post. “It was a gruesome and cold-blooded murder.”

Yousaf's murder sparked a "wave of concern" within Pakistan amid "immense" pressure for authorities to locate her killer. Syed Yousaf Hassan, Sana's father, told the BBC that his only daughter was "very brave" and had never previously mentioned the suspect or any threatening behavior prior to her murder.

Sana, who had more than 1.5 million followers on her TikTok account, shared a scheduled post after her killing, which showed she had recently celebrated her 17th birthday, which included eating pizza with her friends on a rooftop.