WASHINGTON, DC: The family of killed Afghan interpreter Nasrat Ahmad Yar has received half a million on GoFundMe after the tragic murder. The 31-year-old father of four, who assisted US forces in Afghanistan and escaped the Taliban takeover, was killed by gunfire in Washington, DC. According to local police, Ahmad Yar was discovered dead on 11th Street NE only minutes after midnight on Monday, July 3.
The Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department is asking for help from the public in identifying and locating "the suspects, who were captured by surveillance cameras". The killers remain at large, and the police have also promised a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone with information. A text message to the number 50411 can also be used to provide anonymous information to the department's text tip line.
Ahmad Yar who had four children whose ages ranged from 15 months to 13 years, was described by his family as being deeply proud to be living in the United States and as being devoted to his family and community on the fundraising website. The father was actually "shot and killed" while working a late shift for a rideshare company in Washington DC.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar's wife asked him to stay home
Ahmad Yar, a former Army Special Forces interpreter in Afghanistan, arrived in America in 2021, after the government collapsed to the Taliban following Joe Biden's disastrous exit from the nation. He was working as a Lyft driver less than a year after moving to Arlington, Virginia, and decided to take a shift late that night after a night out with his friends, despite his wife's request that he come home. "His wife asked him to stay home but he said, 'I have to pay rent. I don't have that much money. I have to work,'' Rahim Amini, Ahmad Yar's best friend told WUSA9.
Amini said that Ahmad Yar frequently worked 12-hour shifts in an effort to support his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only 15 months old. Additionally, he was still trying to send money to his family members who still live in Afghanistan. Afghans and US military veterans gathered Saturday at the All Muslim Association of America in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for a funeral service. Family and friends consoled Ahmad Yar's children and wife as the coffin was lowered into the earth with ropes and people tossed soil on top.
'I have the same goal for them'
Washington has battled to control progressively rising crime rates with murders and carjackings being the main offenders. Homicides are up 14% when compared to the same period last year. Nine individuals were shot and injured early on Wednesday while taking part in the Fourth of July celebrations, according to the police. Ahmad Yar's wife is still in shock, stated his cousin Ahmadi. She did, however, claim that she and her husband came to America with the same objective in mind: to provide their children with a better future. The wife told his cousin, "I have the same goal for them. They can go to school. They can go to college and become educated and good people for the society," as per ARAB NEWS.
#AmericalovesNasrat
The family used the hashtag #AmericalovesNasrat for the fundraiser, and users of social media have been sharing it throughout their posts. And this has made it possible for the family to raise $500,000 through the platform. "I hope the hashtag would have made Nasrat smile," said Jeramie Malone who helped Nasrat and his family escape Afghanistan. "I believe it would. Nasrat gave so much to his friends, family, community members, the SOF community, and everyone that calls the USA home." She added, "Nasrat did not get the thank you he deserved from us in his short time here. Let’s honor the kindness, love, and positivity Nasrat put into the world, and the sacrifices he made for us. The actions of a sorry few don’t speak for the grateful many."
