On March 18, 2024, Jihad Mahan, a 23-year-old resident of unincorporated Willowbrook, Illinois, was found unresponsive in the front yard of a residence on the 16W600 block of Mockingbird Lane. He was discovered by DuPage County sheriff’s deputies around 8:23 p.m. and was subsequently pronounced dead at Hinsdale Hospital.
The investigation revealed that Jihad Mahan was fatally shot by his twin sister, Jamilah M. Mahan, also 23 years old. According to the charges, Jamilah Mahan retrieved a Glock 42 .380-caliber handgun from her brother’s bedroom and shot him in the back. Following the shooting, she engaged in a physical struggle with their mother, who managed to take the gun away and go outside.
During the incident, Jamilah Mahan was found on top of her mother, holding a knife, with the mother being unconscious and having been strangled. A 911 call captured a woman saying, “Die for what you did to me,” and an officer heard Mahan say, “I have to kill her or she is going to kill me”.
Jamilah Mahan was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery. She had a history of mental health issues and previous incidents of domestic violence. In 2022, she was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery for cutting her mother, but the charges were dropped when the mother did not testify. The mother had also obtained an order of protection in 2022, which she later withdrew. In 2021, the mother had Jamilah involuntarily committed to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and petitioned for guardianship, citing concerns over her daughter's mental health, including bipolar disorder.
Jamilah Mahan was taken into custody and denied pre-trial release. She is currently being held at the DuPage County Correctional facility, with her next court appearance scheduled for April 1, 2024. The incident has been described as a "senseless act of domestic violence" with significant impact on the community, prompting condolences from DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin to Jihad's family and friends.
