Dear Editor,
There are few things I find more infuriating than learning about someone who, while seemingly doing all the right things in the pursuit of the American dream, meets with a senseless death. One such occurrence took place on the night of July 3 when 31-year-old Nasrat Ahmed Yar succumbed to a single gunshot while working as a Washington, D.C., rideshare driver. A tow truck driver by day, Yar was working a second job to help make rent and provide for his family. He leaves behind a wife and four children ages 13, 11, 8, and 15 months.
Born in Afghanistan, Yar first showed up at Bagram Airfield near Kabul; he was 10 years old and offering to do odd jobs. Grateful to the United States for liberating his country from the Taliban, Yar became known among the troops as “the kid who wouldn’t go away”. He taught himself English and by age 18 was promoted to field interpreter, a role in which he proudly served for more than a decade.
In August 2021, when the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban quickly seized control, Yar collected his family and caught a flight to the United Arab Emirates where they took refuge in an interim transit camp. There, with dreams of his children having opportunities for a better life in the U.S., Yar began teaching them English to jumpstart their American education. Eventually, a flight to the US brought the family to Philadelphia, but finding that city too violent, they relocated to Alexandria, VA.
All who knew Nasrat Yar portrayed him as a kind individual who lived a life of service. Even between working his two jobs, he would volunteer with a veteran-funded organization to help bring other Afghan interpreters and their families to the U.S., greeting them at the airport, and helping them adjust to their new home.
Matthew Butler, Retired Lieutenant Colonel with U.S. Army Special Forces, who had worked with Yar in the field, pointed out the irony of Nasrat having survived the Taliban only to be shot dead in DC. The motive for the crime is yet to be determined. Authorities suspect a random carjacking or gang-related violence. A surveillance video captured the sound of a single gunshot and four young males running from the scene, one shouting, “You just killed him.”
With donations being made to a Go Fund Me effort, Butler is seeking to establish a trust for the family. He believes the military commitment “to leave no one behind” now extends to Yar’s family. Butler has pledged his support to the widow.
A life of sacrifice ends tragically. Yar was killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems more than a coincidence that the increase in flagrant crimes is happening at a time when there is a reduction in consequences. The enactment of bail reform resulting in a decline in punishment is contributing to a growing belief that one can commit a crime and get away with it. Unfortunately, for too many, that belief is being confirmed.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge