As US evacuates Afghanistan leading to many Afghans fleeing their nation as a result of the evacuation after the Taliban took control, a former Afghan interpreter for the US forces that were occupying Afghanistan was killed by gunfire in Washington, DC while working as a ride-sharing driver.
The father of four children, Nusrat Ahmad Yar, an Afghan man in his 30s, was fatally shot in a northeastern Washington, DC neighborhood shortly after midnight on July 3.
He was shot by one of the passengers at dawn while he was transporting four Americans.
The suspects can be seen fleeing after shooting Ahmad Yar in a video taken nearby the crime scene.
Ahmadyar was discovered inside a car when police arrived on the scene, they said, with at least one gunshot wound to the stomach. After all attempts to save the victim’s life failed, the hospital declared them dead. ”.
Anyone with information that results in the suspects’ capture and conviction is eligible for a $25,000 reward.
After the Taliban took over in 2021, Ahmad Yar, who had risked his life working for US Special Forces in Afghanistan for ten years, managed to enter the US using a special visa designed for US military personnel.
Ahmad Yar wanted to have a secure life with his wife and three children, ages 13, 8, and 15 months, as well as financial success, according to his friend Rahim Amini, who spoke to Al Jazeera.
Amini, 36, recalled his friend saying, “I’m so happy that I’m in America.”
I’m protected. Here, my kids will get their education.”
When Ahmadyar first arrived in the US, Philadelphia was considered too dangerous to live in. He revealed to Amini that there, he had been confronted by assailants who demanded money.
Ahmadyar then relocated to Northern Virginia where he worked as a Lyft driver to make ends meet.
Amini said Ahmad Yar had to work for long hours to support his family in the US as well as his siblings and parents still in Afghanistan.
Fundraising initiatives have been started for Ahmad Yar’s family by the US military and the neighborhood Afghan community.
Since September 2021, 97,000 Afghans, according to the State Department’s estimate as of June, have relocated to the US.
Gun violence in the United States has been described as an “epidemic” by the US President. The United States has witnessed more than 360 mass shootings in 2023, alone.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in the US, in 2022, there were 647 mass shootings, killing 44,287 people.
The death toll in 2022 was a little lower than in 2021, when there were 692 mass shootings across the nation and 45,010 people died.
Meanwhile, the majority of Americans are in favor of gun control, according to a Gallup poll from 2022, showing 57 percent of all Americans saying they want stricter laws covering the sale of firearms.
However, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a very active and politically powerful lobby group in the United States.
It uses negative campaign tactics to ensure legislators fully understand that their participation in any moves to pass any gun safety legislation will have severe consequences and could destroy their political careers.
Some experts cite issues of mental health and disengaged law enforcement as other reasons for gun violence.
