“Support family of murdered Afghan interpreter”: Fundraiser launched as US army translator Nasrat Ahmad Yar killed while driving Lyft in DC

Nasrat Ahmad Yar, a father of four who had moved to the US from Afghanistan with his family to escape the Taliban takeover in 2021, was gunned down while working as a Lyft driver in Washington, DC, on Monday, July 3.

Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, who had worked for the U.S. Army Special Forces as an Afghan interpreter for over a decade before the country fell in 2021, was killed when he was working an “extra late shift” for the rideshare company early Monday morning.

A GofundMe launched in the wake of the tragedy said that Nasrat had spoken to his wife just hours before the killing. During the call, his wife reportedly begged him to come home, but Nasrat chose to work an extra shift so they could make rent.

Police have yet to make any arrests in the incident. However, the shooting was captured by a nearby home surveillance camera which showed four young individuals fleeing the scene after a gunshot rang out in the area. In the clip obtained by WSU9 one of the unidentified boys was heard saying:

“You killed him! He was about to get out." Another responds, “He was reaching, bro.”

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Nasrat Ahmad Yar GoFundMe raises more than $50,000

The fundraiser named “Support Family of Murdered Afghan Interpreter,” which has raised over $50,000, said that the Afghan national was the sole breadwinner of the family. Nasrat reportedly brought his family to the United States after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.

A friend Jeramie Malone told WUSA 9 that he helped Nasrat and his family relocate to the United States through a volunteer organization from a refugee site in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Malone said that Nasrat had initially settled in Philadelphia but moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to keep his family safe after he was robbed at gunpoint. The fundraiser said that Nasrat Ahmad Yar was reportedly excited when his family was provided asylum in the country as the move would secure his children's future

“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 to his four young children.”

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A $25,000 reward was offered for information on the shooting death of Nasrat Ahmad Yar

Retired Lt. Col. Matthew Butler, who worked closely with Nasrat Ahmad Yar in Afghanistan, told WUSA9 that the Afghan national served America more than he did. Butler explained he only saw 42 months of combat, whereas the interpreter endangered his life assisting the US for over a decade.

Butler said that he helped Ahmad Yar work on his immigration to the Ameicia before the Taliban took over while they worked together during two of his deployments. The retired colonel commented on the irony of the Afghan national escaping terrorism in his country only to face much worse in the United States.

“You just don’t have words to describe how you feel about someone who has 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.”

Meanwhile, the Lyft company condoled the loss of their employee. As the community continues to mourn the death of the intrepid Afghan interpreter, a $25,000 reward has been offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest.