A 31-year-old father of four in Alexandria, Virginia was gunned down on the morning of Monday, July 3, as he finished up a shift as a Lyft driver.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar's friend, Jeramie Malone, says she and her volunteer organization helped him and his family as they escaped Afghanistan in 2021.
Ahmad Yar was a respected and beloved interpreter for the U.S. Army Special Forces for nearly a decade.
"His children were the most important thing to him and he brought them here because he wanted them to be safe," said Malone.
They moved to Alexandria nearly a year ago, where he was recently a full-time driver for Lyft.
Ahmad Yar was the sole provider for his wife and four kids and still helped loved ones back home.
"He just got the car... and he was so happy," said his friend Rahim Amini.
But around midnight on July 3, he was killed in the streets of D.C. Police say he was found with a gunshot wound close to his car on 11th Street near D Street Northeast.
Home surveillance video shows the gunshot and conversation between boys caught on camera.
Family and friends say Ahmad Yar wanted to drive for Lyft that night.
"His wife asked him, 'Please it's late, stay home,'" said Amini. And he said, "I have to pay the rent. I have to pay the rent, I don't have that much money. I have to work."
His death is sending shock waves among service members across the country who worked with Ahmad Yar, describing him as brave, hard-working and kind. They say he was always taking on opportunities to help, even if that means risking his life.
"The tragedy is unfathomable," said retired Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Butler. "You just don't have words to describe how you feel about somebody who's given so much to this country, not even as a citizen... Then comes here [and] experiences some of the worst behavior that our country has to offer."
As loved ones prepare for his funeral, his family is asking police to fully invest in finding the gunman.
"We need justice for Nasrat," said Amini.
According to D.C. police statistics, there have been 127 homicides so far this year, which is a 19 percent increase from the same period in 2022.
A $25,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can provide information that will result in an arrest in this case. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department's text tip line by sending a text message to 50411.
