The Mirror US
More than a dozen witnesses had guns on them when Muslim doctor was fatally stabbed
Story by Benjamin Lynch • 18hWitnesses said a number of people responded to screams byunholstering their guns but did not shoot as a Muslim pediatrician was fatally killed
Dr Talat Jehan Khan, 52, wassuddenly stabbed outsideher apartment while sitting at a picnic table. The Pakistani-American was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reportedly rushed to help the mom-of two after she was stabbed multiple times by a man, according to Conroe Police. A 24-year-old man named as Miles Fridrich was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, authorities confirmed.
Texas has by far the highest number of gun ownership licenses, according to 2022 data from the World Population Review, but gun ownership per capita is much higher in other states. There remains an ongoing debate in the state over if public gun ownership is effective in stopping major crimes and if untrained citizens should intervene at all.
Miles Fridrich© Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
Dr Talat Jehan Khan© Handout
Witness Matthew Amador described the horrific event that occurred quickly, leading to over a dozen people coming out of the apartment block carrying guns after hearing the screams of Khan."The perpetrator was checking her pulse which was really bad," Amador said to KPRC.
"I looked out, and they were all running. I grabbed my sword, and I grabbed my phone. I saw him checking her pulse, and then he stabbed her three times... I said, 'Hey, what are you doing?' And just kind of spooked him."
Amador added that he had "never seen evil like that in my life," while both police and the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) have said the respective organizations are unsure if the incident was a hate crime.
Members of the Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities have said they have experienced an uptick in negative feelings towards them amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and Israel-Hamas war. "We are unsure at this moment if this was a hate crime, however, given the tragic circumstances, we are paying very close attention to the investigation," CAIR said.
Police added that an investigation is ongoing and officers were looking through Fridrich's computers and social media to determine if there was a racial motive in the alleged killing. "So far, it’s appearing that this is completely random," Sergeant David dikkinson said.
Talat Jehan Khan's family members console each other© KHOU 11
Khan's brother Wajahat Nyaz said he does not believe there is a previous connection between his sister and the alleged killer. Dr Khan - who worked at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Conroe - had only recently moved to the area from Seattle because she enjoys the sunshine, and leaves behind a 14-year-old daughter and son 23.
The nearby Al-Ansaar Islamic Center said it would provide extra security for Friday prayer. Fridrich was booked into Montgomery County Jail on a $500,000 bond
