Hero Afghan refugee who helped US forces killed for pettiest reason near new Texas home
An Afghan refugee who courageously aided US Special Forces before fleeing his home country was shot dead over a parking spot in Texas.
Abdul Rahman Waziri, 31, was killed in his west Houston apartment building's parking lot during a fight on April 27 at about 9:15pm, the Houston Police Department (HPD) said in a statement.
Conflict arose when Waziri pulled into the lot to check his mailbox and the alleged aggressor took issue with where he stopped his car, according to Waziri's family's lawyer, Omar Khawaja.
Matters escalated when the man started vandalizing Waziri's car, sparking the fatal altercation, according to witnesses Khawaja said he spoke with.
'After the altercation is already over and Mr. Waziri is walking back to his car, shooter grabs a gun and murders him. He executes him in cold blood,' Khawaja said, ABC 13 reported.
The father-of-two was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead as investigators probed the scene.
Police said the alleged shooter approached them and admitted responsibility. He was questioned and his gun was taken away.
But after the HPD consulted with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, he was not immediately arrested or charged.
A spokesperson for the department told DailyMail.com he could not release the suspect's name due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Waziri's family is devastated and outraged the man who took his life was able to walk free. Now, they are demanding answers.
'We believe this was a public execution. There's no other way to call it,' Khawaja said.
Khawaja gathered outside the HPD alongside Afghan community leaders and Waziri's heartbroken brother, Abdullah Khan, for a press conference on Friday.
'The killer is still out on the streets, he has not been arrested,' Khawaja said, Click2Houston reported.
'There have not been interpreters from the Houston Police Department sent to this community where this murderer resides - who still lives in the same area as the victims.'
The Harris County District Attorney's Office told DailyMail.com it is waiting for the investigation to be completed before any charges are filed.
In the meantime, everyone at the apartment complex is on edge knowing the alleged killer is on the loose, according to Khan, Khawaja and the community leaders.
'The whole community is thinking, if this is happening to us, then what should we do?' Afghan leader Omar Yousafzai asked.
Waziri fled Afghanistan when the Taliban came into power.
While living in his native country, he worked with the US Army for seven years, according to a GoFundMe.
He was a part of the National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG), which is an Afghan unit that worked specifically to protect American troops from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS).
'He was a hero,' Afghan-American community leader Nisar Momand declared.
Waziri decided to move to America in pursuit of a better and safer life for him and his family.
Waziri died just outside his home, where he moved to escape the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan (pictured: the apartment complex where Waziri lived)
The 1208 Foundation, a veteran-led nonprofit for former NMRG members, started another GoFundMe in Waziri's name, writing they 'cannot let his death be met with silence.'
Between the two donation pages, more than $25,000 has been raised to support Waziri's nine-month-old, a three-year-old and a grieving widow.
'He came here to be safe,' Khan said. 'But here is not safe for nobody.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Family pay touching tribute to ‘beautiful soul' son, 20, who died after getting into difficulty while swimming
Friends have also praised the 'lovely' and 'caring young lad' for having a 'heart of gold' RIVER TRAGEDY Family pay touching tribute to 'beautiful soul' son, 20, who died after getting into difficulty while swimming Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE family of a boy who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in a river have paid tribute to their "beautiful soul" son. Jacob Rutkowski, 20, from Darlington, County Durham, is understood to have began to struggle after entering the River Tees in Gainford on Friday afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Tributes have poured in for Jacob Rutkowski, 20, following his death Credit: North News and Pictures 2 The young man died after getting into difficulty in the River Tees at Gainford on Friday afternoon Credit: Alamy Despite a huge emergency response to try to rescue the young man - including the deployment of an air ambulance, mountain rescue crews, police helicopter, paramedics and fire crews - he tragically died. Now, Jacob's family has released a touching tribute as part of a fundraiser to help support the family. The GoFundMe page reads: "As many of you have already heard, our family experienced the unimaginable. "This devastating loss has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words. "He was a son, a brother, a loving boyfriend — and above all, a beautiful soul taken far too soon." The family explained they were raising funds to help with funeral and memorial costs, as well as to support the family "during this painful time". They added: "Anything you can give will help ease the burden and allow us to focus on grieving and honouring his memory. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts." At time of writing, Jacob's GoFundMe has already raised more than £1,650, helping it towards its goal of £4,500. At around 2.30pm on Friday, emergency crews had rushed to the small rural village of Gainford at around to try to save Jacob. A British 45-year-old woman drowns at a Lanzarote beach Police cordoned off an area where ambulance incident response teams and the fire service water unit parked up - both blocking access to the river banks. Drones were also seen flying above the river while dogs patrolled the ground to help rescue Jacob. Tragically, however, Durham Police eventually confirmed it had found a body in the river. In a statement on Friday, cops said: "We're sorry to report that a body has been found in the river at Gainford this evening. "It is believed a 20-year-old man had entered the water this afternoon and got into difficulty. "Formal identification has yet to take place but the man's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. "We would like to thank all our emergency services partners for their assistance." 'I JUST CAN'T GET OVER IT' Other tributes to Jacob have also poured in, describing the 20-year-old as having a "heart of gold". One friend wrote: "Such a caring young lad honestly, sending my love and thoughts to the family. "I just can't get over it, he was so lovely. Breaks my heart, forever 20." Another said: "Absolutely heartbroken for my friend and her family. Life is just so precious." A third wrote: "What a lad. He was taken way to soon."
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Family pay touching tribute to ‘beautiful soul' son, 20, who died after getting into difficulty while swimming
THE family of a boy who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in a river have paid tribute to their "beautiful soul" son. Jacob Rutkowski, 20, from Darlington, County Durham, is understood to have began to struggle after entering the River Tees in Gainford on Friday afternoon. 2 2 Despite a huge emergency response to try to rescue the young man - including the deployment of an air ambulance, mountain rescue crews, police helicopter, paramedics and fire crews - he tragically died. Now, Jacob's family has released a touching tribute as part of a fundraiser to help support the family. The GoFundMe page reads: "As many of you have already heard, our family experienced the unimaginable. "This devastating loss has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words. "He was a son, a brother, a loving boyfriend — and above all, a beautiful soul taken far too soon." The family explained they were raising funds to help with funeral and memorial costs, as well as to support the family "during this painful time". They added: "Anything you can give will help ease the burden and allow us to focus on grieving and honouring his memory. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts." At time of writing, Jacob's GoFundMe has already raised more than £1,650, helping it towards its goal of £4,500. At around 2.30pm on Friday, emergency crews had rushed to the small rural village of Gainford at around to try to save Jacob. Police cordoned off an area where ambulance incident response teams and the fire service water unit parked up - both blocking access to the river banks. Drones were also seen flying above the river while dogs patrolled the ground to help rescue Jacob. Tragically, however, Durham Police eventually confirmed it had found a body in the river. In a statement on Friday, cops said: "We're sorry to report that a body has been found in the river at Gainford this evening. "It is believed a 20-year-old man had entered the water this afternoon and got into difficulty. "Formal identification has yet to take place but the man's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. "We would like to thank all our emergency services partners for their assistance." 'I JUST CAN'T GET OVER IT' Other tributes to Jacob have also poured in, describing the 20-year-old as having a "heart of gold". One friend wrote: "Such a caring young lad honestly, sending my love and thoughts to the family. "I just can't get over it, he was so lovely. Breaks my heart, forever 20." Another said: "Absolutely heartbroken for my friend and her family. Life is just so precious." A third wrote: "What a lad. He was taken way to soon."
ITV News
7 hours ago
- ITV News
US student Mahmoud Khalil detained for pro-Palestinian protests released from immigration detention
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was released Friday from federal immigration detention after 104 days by a judge's ruling after becoming a symbol of President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests. The former Columbia University graduate student left a federal facility in Louisiana on Friday where he travelled to New York to meet his wife and son who was born while Mr Khalil was detained. Speaking to reporters at Newark International Airport, New Jersey he said: 'The US government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide." 'This is why I will continue to protest with everyone of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.' 'Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you're not illegal. That doesn't make you less of a human,' he said. Mr Khalil wasn't accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. However, the government has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the US for expressing views the administration considers to be antisemitic and 'pro-Hamas,' referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Mr Khalil, was released after US District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual' for the government to continue detaining a legal US resident who was unlikely to flee and hadn't been accused of any violence. The government filed notice Friday evening that it is appealing Mr Khalil's release. Federal immigration agents detained Mr Khalil on March 8, the first arrest under Trump's crackdown on students participating in the protests on university campuses. Mr Khalil was then taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, a remote part of Louisiana thousands of miles from his attorneys and his wife. The 30-year-old international affairs student had served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists at Columbia University who took over a campus lawn to protest the war. Khalil's lawyers challenged the legality of his detention, arguing that the Trump administration was trying to deport him for an activity protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified Khalil's deportation by citing a rarely used statute that gives him power to deport those who pose 'potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.' Joining Mr Khalil at the airport, US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said his detention violated the First Amendment and was 'an affront to every American.' 'He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,' she said. 'The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle," Ocasio-Cortez added. "They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law.'
