Afghan Interpreter Who Served With the US Army Shot Dead in DC While Driving Lyft

An Afghan interpreter who had served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan was shot dead while working a shift for Lyft, a rideshare company. Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, of Alexandria, Virginia was killed while in…

Elizabeth WeibelJul 7, 20233 min read

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in the “400 block of 11th street, NE” a little after midnight, according to a

statement

from the police department.

Yar was taken to the hospital after being found with a gunshot wound, but succumbed to his injuries, according to the press release.

A husband and father of four children, ages 13 to 15 months, Yar managed to escape Afghanistan in August 2021 after the Taliban took control.

Prior to moving to Alexandria, Yar first relocated to Philadelphia with his family, where he later felt unsafe after being robbed at gunpoint, Yar’s friend, Jeramie Malone told WUSA9.

Malone had assisted in helping Yar and his family get settled in the U.S. with the help of a volunteer organization in Abu Dhabi, Malone told the outlet.

“You just don’t have the words to describe how you feel about someone who had given so much to his country, not as a citizen, but then comes here and experiences some of the worst behavior our country has to offer,” Matthew Butler, a retired Lieutenant Colonel told WUSA9.

Butler described Yar as a “marked man” regarding his work serving as an interpreter with the U.S. special forces.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in honor of Yar by Malone. All funds received will go directly to Yar’s family to “assist” them in meeting their “basic living expenses and covering essential needs.” The page has raised more than $97,300 over the course of a day.

The investigation regarding this incident is ongoing and a $25,000 reward is offered to anyone with any information, according to the press release from the Metropolitan Police Department.

To date, there have been 127 homicides in the nation’s capital during 2023, up from 107 in 2022. This represents a 19% increase, according to the Metropolitan Police Department website.

IJR reached out to Lyft for a statement but did not receive a response back by time of publication.