Social media erupted with news of the Iraqi TikTokers Hussein and his wife Shahinda being shot at in a targeted assassination attempt in the capital, Baghdad. After being taken to the hospital, Hussein stated, "We are performers on the TikTok platform. My wife and I took up this platform to earn a living through acting, advertisements, and live streaming."
He revealed, "On one occasion, I received a threat during a live broadcast from someone who said verbatim, 'Leave Baghdad or you will be killed,' but I ignored this threat, considering we are peaceful and have no enmity with anyone. However, after returning home from work with my wife, we were surprised to find someone waiting for us, wearing a black mask and a black hat, who then opened fire on us."
Hussein was shot six times, while his wife sustained three gunshot wounds, one of which resulted in the loss of her eye, and a second bullet struck her shattering her nose. Shahinda confirmed, "I lost my right eye after the nerve died, and there are no solutions that can restore vision in this eye now or in the future." She also mentioned the devastation to her nose and a deformity on the left side of her face, stating, "Vision in my left eye is also uncertain and has begun to weaken." She concluded, "I have complete impairment in my face."
