(NewsNation) — In a tragic incident that sent shockwaves through the community, a Lyft driver was brutally murdered in Washington, D.C, adding to the rising number of homicides in the nation’s capital.
The victim, Nasrat Ahmad Yar, is one of ten shot and killed recently in Washington, D.C., which has seen 127 murders so far this year, up 19% from July of 2022.
Yar died at age 31 and leaves behind a wife and four kids.
The story of Yar, however, is way more than just that of a murder. Yar served as an interpreter for U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan.
After the Taliban took over he wanted to come to America, which he thought was a safer place.
He brought his family to the United States in 2021 after the Afghan government collapsed. He arrived in Philadelphia and started saving money to start his own business, but Philly proved too dangerous.
So Yar came to D.C., where he thought he would be safe. Instead, he was killed as a Lyft driver.
Rahim Amini, a fellow Afghan immigrant and longtime friend, was with Yar just hours before the murder and conveyed their shared hope of finding safety in the United States.
“When me and Nasrat and other guys were living in Afghanistan. We never thought, never realized how dangerous America is, ” he said. “We thought America was going to be safer, the safest country in all of the world.”
Amini said that is why Yar and all the interpreters were trying to come to America.
“To be safe,” he said.
Yar’s dream was to secure a prosperous life for his family, ensuring his children received a quality education and bright future.
Amini remembers Yar telling him, “We are here because of our kids, you know, we are here to be safe.”
Yar supported not only his own family but also other Afghan families, sending financial aid to those left behind.
“He was so generous. He was so nice. He was always trying to help the people,” Amini said. He said Yar always reminded him, “Don’t forget the people left behind.”
No suspects have been arrested, but surveillance video captured the sound of a single gunshot and four boys or young men were seen running away.
Police have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
