horner died on 11 march 2014 following a gunshot to the head while outside of a previously attacked restaurant in kabul. horner was there to follow up on a terrorist attack the restaurant had suffered two months prior. while on his way to investigate the story, two men shot horner execution style in the middle of a street in the wazir akbar khan, kabul district. a division of the taliban, fidai mahaz, claimed the murder citing the theory that horner was a british spy; however, it is unclear whether these claims are factual or not. the two suspects were caught on video fleeing the area; however, no arrests were made in connection to the murder.