‘We never move on without taking our own revenge’: TikToker with 20K followers accused of murdering co-worker over $31,000 debt

A 23-year-old TikTok user from Houston has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly shooting his former co-worker over a $31,000 debt dispute. Naqibullah Habibzoi, who had more than 20,000 followers on the social media platform, was taken into custody on August 21 in connection with the May 31 killing of Awal Noor Kiftan, 34, outside his San Antonio apartment, per the San Antonio Express-News.

The two men had previously worked together at a trucking company. According to court records and police reports, the shooting occurred around 11 p.m. when Kiftan was called outside his apartment in the 9100 block of Dartbrook Drive after being told a woman was there to meet him. A friend who was with Kiftan at the time heard gunshots shortly after he stepped outside and found him lying unresponsive on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Investigators discovered multiple posts and comments on Habibzoi’s TikTok account where he accused Kiftan of taking $31,000 from him. In one threatening post, he wrote, “We never move on without taking our own revenge.” Another post stated, “If you do something bad to us, something bad will happen to you.” The suspect also shared a photo of a firearm alongside the Afghanistan flag on top of a carpet, and posted a picture that included Kiftan.

Police track suspect through social media and phone records

According to Fox San Antonio, Police were able to connect the woman who lured Kiftan outside to Habibzoi, as she was in a relationship with the suspect and had been listed as his emergency contact on official records. The pair had previously been listed as suspects in a possible assault case reported in April. Habibzoi initially denied involvement in the shooting and claimed in a June 3 post that his TikTok account had been hacked and that he was being framed.

However, investigators obtained a recorded phone call where Habibzoi allegedly confessed to the shooting. Speaking in Pashto, he told another man that someone was not giving him his money, so “he finished him.” When the person on the call mentioned hearing rumors about Kiftan’s murder, Habibzoi confirmed it was true and said he “swears he did it with his hands” and that “his heart is pleased and satisfied.”

Call records and location data from Habibzoi’s phone showed he traveled from Houston to San Antonio on the day of the shooting and returned home shortly afterward. License plate readers also confirmed his blue Toyota Corolla made the same journey on May 31. The case highlights the dark side of social media platforms like TikTok, where online disputes can escalate into real-world violence. 

Kiftan was remembered in a GoFundMe page as a “hardworking immigrant living far from his homeland” who left behind “bereaved family and orphaned children in urgent need of humanitarian and financial support.” The fundraiser has raised over $8,800 for his family. Habibzoi is currently being held at Bexar County Jail and faces additional charges of illegal entry into a foreign country after being extradited from overseas. Similar cases involving TikTok influencers and criminal charges have raised concerns about the potential for social media disputes to turn deadly.