OAN’s Geraldyn Berry
4:34 PM –Friday, July 7, 2023
Police in Washington, D.C. are searching for the gunmen who shot and killed a 31-year-old Lyft driver who was revealed to be a former Afghan interpreter in the Special Forces.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was found shot in a car shortly after midnight Monday morning. The Metropolitan Police Department had responded to a distress call after midnight about an unconscious person and upon arrival, discovered the driver to be badly wounded from being shot while inside his car.
According to authorities, D.C. Fire and EMS then transported Yar to an area hospital for treatment, where he later died.
According to surveillance footage provided by the police, shortly after Yar was shot, four people were seen fleeing the area. Presently, suspects have not been identified and according to the press release, police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that results in an arrest.
According to a verifiable GoFundMe page, Yar was previously an interpreter who worked with US Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for 10 years before to the Taliban takeover. Additionally, he had been the sole provider for his wife and four children, ages 15 months to 13 years.
Yar’s cousin who served as an interpreter for the U.S. military, Mohammad Ahmadi, said that the homicide has left people back in Afghanistan stunned because they imagined the capital of the United States was a safe place.
“People are in shock in my country,” Ahmadi said. “The whole family, friends, everyone. Nobody believes it when we say that happens in Washington, D.C.”
According to police statistics, homicides have increased in the city by 19% year to date from 2022, while total violent crime has increased by 30%.
As city council members prepared to vote on emergency legislation, local leaders convened on Thursday to appeal for greater assistance from the general public. The new legislation presented by Councilmember Brooke Pinto is intended to close gaps in the district’s criminal justice system.
“Our hearts are with Mr. Nasrat’s loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy. We have reached out to his family to offer our support and are in contact with law enforcement to assist with their investigation,” a Lyft spokesperson said.
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