Fundraising Helps Alexandria Homicide Victim's Family Remain In Home

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The homicide of a U.S. Army interpreter who moved to Alexandria drew a significant community response to support his family.

Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, of Alexandria, was identified as the victim found in a car with gunshot injuries in the 400 block of 11th Street NE on July 3. According to a GoFundMe created for his family, he was working late shift as a rideshare driver when he was killed.

Before coming to the U.S., Ahmad Yar served as an Afghan interpreter for U.S. Army Special Forces for a decade, according to the fundraiser. When Afghanistan's government fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Ahmad Yar brought his family to the United States and settled in Alexandria. Before his death, he worked as a tow truck driver and rideshare driver as the sole provider for his wife and four children.

But thanks to the GoFundMe fundraiser, his family can keep their home. The fundraiser, started by nonprofit Heart of an Ace to help Ahmad Yar's wife and children with their immediate needs, raised over $500,000 as the family's story reached a national audience.

"Because of your kind donations, the Ahmad Yars have been able to stay in their home," fundraiser organizer Jeramie Malone shared on GoFundMe Monday. "The night he was killed, just over a month ago, Nasrat was behind on his rent because he had given so much of his money away to friends and family in need. Thanks to all of you, Nasrat’s wife and children do not need to worry about a roof over their heads."

Funds will also be put into a trust for Ahmad Yar's wife and children, as he dreamed of his children growing up in the U.S. "safe, happy, and healthy."

Another fundraiser through Facebook and nonprofit Help Build Tomorrow supported burial costs and Ahmad Yar's wife.

Suspects have not yet been identified by DC's Metropolitan Police. Police are offering a reward up to $25,000 for the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects. A surveillance video released by police shows unknown persons of interest fleeing on the night of the homicide.

Anyone with information can contact Metropolitan Police at 202-727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.