A video shows suspects in the shooting death of Washington D.C. Lyft driver and former Afghan interpreter Nasrat Ahmad Yar fleeing the scene, according to a Metropolitan Police news release.
In the video, which you can watch below, gunfire rings out in the distance before several men run down an alley.
“So sorry for this senseless loss. This young man was an American hero and deserved to live the American dream. Prayers for his family. Also prayers that swift and severe justice comes to the ones responsible for this crime,” a woman who donated wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help Yar’s family.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Say That Nasrat Ahmad Yar Was Dicovered Shot to Death Inside a Vehicle
NEW: I’ve spent the day talking to family and friends of Nasrat Ahmad Yar, the Lyft driver shot, killed in NE DC. He was a respected interpreter in Afghanistan. His wife wanted him to come home in Alexandria that night but he chose to work so he could make money for rent. @wusa9
According to the Metropolitan Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, writing in a news release, they are seeking “the public’s assistance in identifying and locating suspects in a homicide that occurred on Monday, July 3, 2023, in the 400 Block of 11th Street, Northeast.”
At approximately 12:08 a.m., First District officers “responded to the listed location for the report of an unconscious person. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male shooting victim inside of a vehicle. 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,” the release says.
It adds: “The decedent has been identified as 31-year-old Nasrat Ahmad Yar, of Alexandria, VA.”
The GoFundMe page says that Yar was working as a Lyft Driver when he was shot and killed.
2. Police Released Video Showing the Suspects Fleeing the Scene
“The suspects were captured by surveillance cameras and can be seen in the video,” police wrote, releasing the above video. “He was reaching, bro,” one of the suspects says in the video. Another voice can also be heard saying, “You just killed him.”
Footage of the DC Lyft driver shooting suspects fleeing the scene.
The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Nasrat Ahmad Yar who was a longtime interpreter for the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan.
Police said a reward is being offered.
“The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411,” they wrote in the news release.
3. Nasrat Ahmad Yar Served as a ‘Local National Interpreter’ Alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for a Decade
Nasrat Ahmad Yar served with US forces in Afghanistan, fled Taliban takeover, shot dead driving Lyft in DC 🙏
The GoFundMe page set up to help Yar’s family describes Yar as a “dedicated local national interpreter who bravely served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for a decade.”
He brought his family to the United States in August 2021, “after the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021,” the page says.
“After settling in Alexandria, Virginia, Nasrat wasted no time in securing employment as a tow truck driver and rideshare driver to provide for his loved ones,” the GoFundMe page says.
“Nasrat’s commitment to his family and community was unwavering. He always extended a helping hand to friends and family and readily assisted anyone in need. He was immensely proud to be in the U.S. and grateful for the safety and opportunities that would be afforded for his four young children.”
4. Nasrat Ahman Yar Was a Father of 3 & Sole Provider for His Family Who Was Working an Extra Late Shift When He Was Killed
Nasrat Ahmad Yar was an interpreter for the US special forces in Afghanistan. After US withdrawal, he was one of those who went “on the run” from IEA even though there was a general amnesty, he lied to get a VISA and relocate to America.
A GoFundMe page to support Yar’s family has raised more than $120,000.
On July 3 , 2023, “Nasrat’s life was cut short when he was shot and killed while working an extra late shift for a rideshare company in Washington D.C. This devastating loss has left a void that cannot be filled in the lives of numerous family members and friends,” the page says. “Nasrat was the sole provider for his wife and four children, aged 15 months to 13 years.”
The post adds, “We invite you to join us in honoring the memory of Nasrat Ahmad Yar and supporting his grieving family during this challenging time. Every contribution to this fundraiser will directly assist Nasrat’s widow in meeting their basic living expenses and covering essential needs as they drtive to rebuild their lives without him.”
By donating “to this cause, you become a beacon of hope for Nasrat’s family,” the post says.
5. Military Veterans Described the Dangerous Efforts to Get Yar & His Family to Safe Houses & The United States After the U.S. Withdrew From Afghanistan
Spoke w/U.S. Army Special Forces Veteran Matthew Butler & Jeramie Malone, who both worked to help Nasrat Ahmad Yar & his family get out of Afghanistan & into the U.S. after the volatile 2021 pullout. Butler says Ahmad Yar started working for the U.S. at 10, doing small jobs first
“He served this country — this country, not even his country — way more than I did and I’m a 27-year veteran and I have six tours,” Matthew Butler told FOX 5.
According to Fox 5, Yar “grew up by Bagram Airfield and worked for the U.S. Government for nearly 20 years, starting at age 10, doing small jobs before becoming an interpreter.
Butler told FOX 5 how difficult it was to get Yar and his family “from safe house after safe house” and eventually to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Once your deployment is over, you’re in even more danger, than you were before because now you have nobody but yourself to defend – to defend yourself against the Taliban. That is really a huge sacrifice for somebody to make it. He was in a lot of danger in Afghanistan, so yeah, for him to come here and in less than two years after arriving in the States — it’s really devastating,” said Jeramie Malone, who also helped Yar escape, to FOX 5.
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