A 15-year-old boy has been taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), facing charges related to the shooting death of a Lyft driver in Washington, D.C.
The driver, Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, of Alexandria, Virginia, was killed in the early hours of July 3, 2023.
Ahmad Yar, remembered for his previous service as an interpreter for the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan, had settled in Alexandria, Virginia, with his family after the collapse of the Afghan government.
He was working for Lyft, navigating the streets of the nation’s capital, when his life was tragically cut short.
According to Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons of the MPD, Ahmad Yar had just completed a ride and was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by several young suspects, allegedly attempting to hijack his car. During the confrontation, Ahmad Yar was fatally shot.
“Our findings suggest that these individuals were attempting to hijack his vehicle,” Parsons explained. “In the course of this encounter, Nasrat was shot by one of the individuals, who then escaped the scene, which was captured on surveillance footage that played a crucial role in cracking the case.”
Following “eight months of persistent and committed efforts” by the homicide unit, the focus converged on a 15-year-old as the prime suspect in the murder, as announced by the police at a news briefing. The teenager, whose name has been withheld, was apprehended on Friday, March 1, and faces charges of “armed felony murder,” according to Parsons.
Parsons also mentioned that there are still “several suspects involved” in the murder who are yet to be apprehended, urging the community to “step forward” with any pertinent details.
“The thoughtless acts of these youths have taken a life and devastated a family newly navigating life in this nation. While no arrest can mend their loss, the apprehension made today communicates that the use of firearms in our community is met with strict repercussions, and our investigators are relentless in ensuring such heedless behavior is punished,” he further stated.
Parsons emphasized the impact of the crime on Ahmad Yar’s family, who have been left to navigate this tragedy without their husband and father. Ahmad Yar was described as the sole provider for his wife and four children, ages 15 months to 13 years. In the wake of his death, a GoFundMe campaign was established to support his family, raising over $520,000. Jeramie Malone, who organized the GoFundMe on behalf of Ahmad Yar’s wife, praised the Metropolitan Police Department for their “tremendous hard work and meticulousness” that led to the arrest.
Malone, who had assisted Ahmad Yar and his family in escaping Afghanistan, highlighted the poignant contrast between Ahmad Yar’s search for safety in coming to the United States and the violence that claimed his life.