Khalid was at the venue to attend an event titled 'Khauff Se Azaadi', organised by an organisation named 'United Against Hate'.

An eyewitness told ANI, "There was an event, Umar Khalid accompanied us. We were at a tea stall when a man in white shirt came, pushed opened fire at him. Khalid lost his balance, fell down and bullet missed him. We tried to catch the man. He fired aerial shots, pistol slipped off his hands, he fled."

Later Khalid said, "There is an atmosphere of fear in the country, and anybody who speaks against the government is threatened."