The Glasgow-based Shielders gang, notorious for their involvement in the brutal murder of schoolboy Kriss Donald, continue to operate in the city's Southside despite several key members being behind bars. Kriss Donald, a 15-year-old, was abducted from Kenmure Street in Glasgow's southside in March 2004 in what was described as an apparent revenge attack.
The Murder of Kriss Donald
The gang, led by Imran 'Baldy' Shahid, targeted Kriss after Shahid was bottled in a nightclub. Although Kriss had no connection to the incident, he was chosen because he was a 'white boy from McCulloch Street.' The gang drove Kriss on a 200-mile journey before taking him to the Clyde Walkway, where they stabbed him 13 times, doused him in petrol, and set him on fire. He bled to death in a racially motivated murder.
Shahid, his brother Zeeshan Shahid, and Faisal Mushtaq fled to Pakistan but were brought back with the help of MP Mohammed Sarwar. They were jailed for life in November 2006.
Imran 'Baldy' Shahid
Imran Shahid, the leader of the Shielders, is believed to still control the gang's criminal affairs from his jail cell. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years in 1995 for a gang-related serious assault. At the time of Kriss's murder, Shahid had been released from jail only weeks earlier after serving half of a 30-month sentence for a road rage incident. He received a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years for Kriss's murder. In 2012, he ordered a revenge hit on an accomplice turned informant, Daanish Zahid, who had traded information for a lesser sentence. Shahid's hitmen stormed Glasgow Royal Infirmary armed with knives, but Zahid was found before they could harm him. Shahid has been targeted in prison, including a slashing in 2011 and an attack with a 15kg weight in 2013. In 2014, he battered inmate Patrick Sandeman with a metal bar after learning of a plot against him, adding 20 months to his sentence.
Zeeshan 'Crazy' Shahid
Zeeshan Shahid, Baldy's younger brother, was a co-conspirator in the murder and received a life sentence with a minimum of 23 years. He was described in court as a senior member of the Shielders. In 2012, he punched a prison officer in a dispute over a bag of salt and vinegar crisps, which he had passed to a friend during visiting hours. In 2021, he and his brother were granted special leave to attend their father's funeral but were taken back before the burial due to safety concerns at Glasgow Central Mosque.
Mohammed Faisal Mushtaq
Mushtaq was also jailed for Kriss Donald's murder, receiving a 22-year sentence. He fled to Pakistan with the Shahid brothers but returned to Scotland to stand trial after warrants were issued.
Ahsan Shahid
Ahsan Shahid, another younger brother of Baldy, has multiple criminal convictions. In 2009, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pursuing convicted Grindr rapist Omar Khan in a violent gang feud. In 2017, he was jailed for five years for a banking fraud that swindled people out of £250,000, and his wife Nafeesa received a 22-month sentence. In July 2023, he was jailed for 27 months for a violent assault on Pollokshaws Road.
Omer Sadiq
Omer Sadiq was a younger generation gangster linked to the Shielders' network. He was involved in drug feuds and used guns to intimidate rivals. In 2010, he was jailed for five years after chasing two rivals in a car and pointing a pistol at them. In 2021, he was murdered by his brother-in-law, Hashim Uddin, who was jailed. Loyalists placed a £50,000 bounty on Uddin's head.
Despite these convictions, the Shielders gang remains a formidable presence in Glasgow's Southside, with ongoing criminal activities.
