On the evening of March 30, 2019, Shakeel Khan, a 50-year-old male, was fatally shot in an execution-style murder outside his restaurant, Halal Bites, in Johnson City, New York. The incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. as he was closing his business located at 652 Riverside Drive. Khan was shot multiple times by a lone gunman whose face was obscured by a dark mask.
He was unarmed at the time of the attack and succumbed to his injuries a short time later at Wilson Medical Center.
Originally from the Swat region in Pakistan, Khan was a lawful permanent resident of the United States who had moved to Broome County from Brooklyn about a year prior to his death, seeking a better environment to raise his family. He was known for his political activism against terrorist organizations in his home country. Khan is survived by his wife, a 14-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old son, and an 8-year-old son.
As of early 2025, the murder of Shakeel Khan remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. The investigation, described as one of the toughest by the Johnson City police chief, is a collaborative effort between the Johnson City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force. While police were initially looking for at least one male suspect of unknown race, there have been no tangible leads to identify a suspect and establish probable cause for an arrest.
In an effort to generate new leads, significant rewards have been offered for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The FBI initially offered a reward of $50,000. This has since been supplemented by a reward of up to $5 million from the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program. Authorities continue to appeal to the public for any information regarding the case and have provided multiple avenues for submitting tips, including local FBI offices and the FBI's online tip portal. Despite these efforts, the case remains an open and active investigation.
