Monmouth County Native Killed By ISIS In Tajikistan

MANALAPAN, NJ — The life, and choices, that Jay Austin made for himself could be taken from the pages of a Hollywood screenplay. A young man who not only wanted to seize life, but also improve our planet and our world, was tragically killed by ISIS adherents last week while cycling in Tajikistan.

Austin, 29, who was raised in Manalapan, NJ and went to elementary school there, was killed on Sunday, July 29 when he was hit by four men who professed their allegiance to ISIS in Tajikistan, according to reports.

The New York Times reported that men driving a sedan deliberately backed up and drove into seven cyclists total, including Austin and his girlfriend, on a stretch of road in mountainous Tajikistan.

A grainy cell phone video on the New York Post purports to show a van making a U-turn on the dusty road to drive right into the group of cyclists. The U.S. embassy in Tajikistan confirmed the attack on their Facebook page.

The day following their deaths, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the New York Times reported. It is so far the first attack by ISIS in Tajikistan.

In total, four cyclists, Austin, his girlfriend, Lauren Geoghegan, also 29, and bikers from Switzerland and the Netherlands, were killed. The other three were injured, but received medical care nearby.

The New York Times reported the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan released a statement saying the four suspected attackers were dead, and released a photo of the four dead men, along with mugshots of several others taken into custody.

Austin attended Manalapan elementary school, Reason.com and the Asbury Park Press reported. He went on to earn his master's degree from Georgetown University and was hired to work for the federal government, with the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

There, he followed one of the many causes he was passionate about — the need to provide affordable housing for all, Reason.com reported. He didn't always fit in with the suit-and-tie atmosphere of bureaucratic Washington, D.C., coming to work instead often in jeans and work boots, they reported.

Last year, at the age of 29, he quit his job and decided to cycle around the world with Geoghegan. The couple met at Georgetown, according to the New York Times.

"Jay inspired so many in his local community, and at the federal housing administration where he worked in Washington, DC up until leaving for his trip, as well as inspiring all around the world," his family wrote on this GoFundMe page set up in his honor. "He not only embarked on this journey for his personal gratification but also to demonstrate that if he can do it, anyone can. His message was to live life to the fullest, everyday, and to live it now and not put it off until someday. He would also wish for everyone to be kind human beings."

They chronicled their journey on their blog, Simply Cycling, and biked through North Africa, into Turkey, Italy, France and finally into Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Before he left D.C., Austin built a tiny home for himself, as his way to draw attention to Washington's increasing lack of affordable housing and his rejection of consumerism and materials goods. You can watch Jay speak in the YouTube video below. Austin was so passionate about reducing consumerism and living minimally that he was featured in the documentary, "Minimalism, the Documentary," which can be viewed on Netflix.

"Life is short and the world is big and we want to make the most of our youth and good health before they're gone," read a quote at the top of his GoFundMe page.

Editor's Note: There was an inaccuracy in the original reporting of this article. Patch sincerely regrets the error and it has been corrected.

Photo of Jay Austin from his GoFundMe page used with his mother's permission.