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.
Abdul Rahman Waziri (pictured), 31, was killed in his west Houston apartment’s parking lot by a man he argued with over a spot on April 27 at about 9:15pm
Waziri (right) 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)
The father-of-two was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead as investigators probed the scene (pictured)
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.
Waziri’s heartbroken brother, Abdullah Khan (pictured), spoke at a press conference on Friday, demanding justice for his brother
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’s family’s lawyer, Omar Khawaja (pictured) described the veteran’s death as a cold-blooded execution
Waziri (pictured) has left behind a nine-month-old, a three-year-old and a grieving widow
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.’
