Afghan interpreter who fled to US was killed while working as a rideshare driver
A former interpreter for the US special forces in Afghanistan was killed while working as a rideshare driver in Washington, DC.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was living in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and their four children aged 13, 11, 8 and 15 months, after fleeing their home country, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family. Ahmad Yar had worked as a tow-truck driver and then later a rideshare driver “to provide for his loved ones.”
His friend Rahim Amini said that they had played volleyball together on Sunday, according to The Washington Post. Ahmad Yar then went to work; he told Amini that he was behind on rent.
Ahmad Yar (GoFundMe)
After midnight on Monday, July 3, Ahmad Yar was shot and killed.
The incident occurred in the 400 block of 11th Street, Northeast, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Police responded at around 12:08 am after receiving a report of an unconscious person.
Police shared a video of four young people running through an alley right after the sound of a gunshot.
“Upon arrival, officers located an adult male shooting victim inside of a vehicle,” reads the release. “DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.”
Police are offering a reward of up to US $25,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
Ahmad Yar (Noorullah Ahmadzai/Facebook)
His cousin Abdul Mateen Rahmati said that Ahmad Yar taught himself how to speak English.
“He was a smart guy,” he said.
Matthew Butler, a retired lieutenant colonel with the US Army Special Forces, was at the funeral which took place on Saturday. He said that Ahmad Yar was only 18 years old when they started working together, describing him as something of a legend on the base. The two would end up working together for 12 years.
“In his 31 years, he served 18 of those years with US Special Forces,” said Butler.
Two fundraising pages have been set up for Ahmad Yar’s family.
As of Sunday, July 9, US $55,857 of the US $67,118 goal had been raised on Facebook. On GoFundMe, US $430,782 had been raised of the US $450,000 goal.
“Every contribution to this fundraiser will directly assist Nasrat’s widow in meeting their basic living expenses and covering essential needs as they strive to rebuild their lives without him,” reads a statement on GoFundMe.
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