Crime Stoppers Crime of the Week: Cab driver fatally shot after picking up passenger in downtown Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Last month, CBS 58 told you about a cab driver who was robbed, then shot and killed after picking up a passenger in downtown Milwaukee.

Now his family has come all the way from Pakistan, hoping that someone will come forward and help them get justice.

Shahbaz Imran spoke to his wife in Pakistan every day.

In fact, he spoke to her two hours before he was shot and killed on Oct. 2, 2021. 

Sahrish Zareen held back tears thinking about her husband.

"Just thinking about what happened to him and that I don't have him anymore in my life, that is the biggest pain," she said.

Police released photos of the last passenger Imran picked up that evening at Milwaukee's Intermodal Station on St. Paul Avenue.

He is now the main suspect who they believe may be in the Appleton area.

"We are looking for any information that will identify him."

A little before 10, a shotspotter call came in about a shooting at 1834 W. Walnut Street.

About an hour later, someone found Shahbaz Imran's body in a nearby alley. Around the same time, detectives got a call that a yellow cab was on fire in a church parking lot at 60th and Custer.

"This is a horrendous crime committed against a member of our community."

His wife says it's hard to believe this happened to him.

"It's very difficult to describe him, the guy always had a positive attitude, no conflict with anyone -- not with me, kids, family, friends. He was such a loving person. Everybody just loved him."

Forty-four-year-old Shahbaz Imran was a well-known professional hockey player in Pakistan, then moved to the U.S. 

He had been a cab driver here for more than 20 years.

"He was in Pakistan in last May, he got to spend a lot of time with his kids, especially with the younger one. He became very close to the younger daughter. Yeah, that was the last memories she has, or the kids have, when he was there in May in Pakistan."

Sahrish, her three children, father and brother-in-law have been in the U.S. for weeks. They've had services for Imran here. But she worries about going back to Pakistan now that he's gone.

"My husband was the moneymaker in the family and now he's not there, I don't know what life is going to be, who is going to support us and what is going to happen to my kids, me or his family. No idea what life is going to be moving forward without him."

But she says she doesn't plan to go back until she gets justice and is asking Milwaukee to step up. 

"With this guy, whoever did it, all I can do is expect him to surrender and come forward and say that I did this, for my closure and for my family's closure. I request the police department and the people of this city, if they have any information, please come forward and say it, so at least me and my kids can have some kind of a closure and Imran can get justice."

If you know anything about who killed Shahbaz Imran and you're nervous about coming forward, don't worry, your call to Milwaukee Crime Stoppers 414-224-TIPS, is always anonymous. 

No one will ever know who you are, and if your tip leads to an arrest, you get $1,000 cash.