US TikTok star Ali Abulaban convicted of murdering wife and her friend, sobs hysterically after verdict

Ali Abulaban, a former TikTok celebrity, sobbed uncontrollably as the jury on Wednesday (May 30) found him guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend.

Inside the couple's high-rise apartment in San Diego, Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, were shot and murdered by Ali Abulaban. During his trial evidence, Ali Abulaban acknowledged killing the two people despite entering a not-guilty plea to the two first-degree murder counts.

"My gun was in my hand and next thing I'm shooting and I can't stop. I'm just shooting. He said he thought his wife was cheating on him and he felt "betrayed," Abulaban said.

Abulaban treated his wife in a "jealous, controlling, and violent" manner, according to Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast. Jodi Green, Abulaban's lawyer, said that the violence he endured as a youngster had a significant impact on his perspective on relationships.

The morning before the deaths, Abulaban reportedly damaged items, dumped Ana Abulaban's clothing down a garbage chute, and put a listening appon their daughter's iPad, who is five years old.

Abulaban heard his wife laughing in the room with her friend using the listening app. He drove to the apartment to shoot them after getting upset.

Throughout the trial, the neighbour's security footage was shown. There are six gunshots heard shortly after Abulaban is shown entering the flat. Additionally, Abulaban can be heard calling his mother to inform her of what he had done and yelling Ana's name.

Dalal Warra, Abulaban's mother, stated that her son had phoned her following the deaths. "That's not funny, Ali. Don't say that,"she told her son on the phone.

He allegedly sent her a picture of the victims' bodies as well, which she deleted right away. Ali Abulaban, who went by "JinnKid" on TikTok, amassed around a million followers. He mimicked the role of Al Pacino in the film "Scarface" and shared comic sketches.

(With inputs from agencies)