Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – A tragic incident unfolded in west Houston on April 27 when Abdul Rahman Waziri, a 31-year-old Afghan refugee who had bravely assisted U.S. Special Forces, was shot and killed after a dispute over a parking spot.
Waziri, who had relocated to the U.S. seeking safety for his family, was parking his car near his apartment building at approximately 9:15 p.m. when the altercation began. According to the family’s attorney, Omar Khawaja, the conflict started when Waziri stopped his car to check his mailbox, which angered another man. The situation escalated when the suspect began vandalizing Waziri’s vehicle.
Witnesses told Khawaja that after the initial confrontation had ended, and Waziri was walking back to his car, the suspect retrieved a gun and shot Waziri in cold blood. Despite efforts to save him, Waziri was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The shooter, who admitted to the crime when approached by the police, has not been arrested. Authorities are awaiting the completion of their investigation before deciding whether to file charges. The lack of immediate action has sparked outrage, with Waziri’s family and members of the Afghan community demanding justice.
“He was a hero,” said Nisar Momand, an Afghan-American community leader, describing Waziri’s service with the U.S. Army’s National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG), a unit that protected American troops from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan. Waziri fled his home country to escape the Taliban and seek a better life for his wife and two young children.
His family, devastated by his senseless death, believes the killing was an execution. “We cannot let his death go unnoticed,” said Khawaja, as he stood alongside community leaders and Waziri’s brother, Abdullah Khan, at a press conference. The community is now fearful, with the alleged killer still at large.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support Waziri’s widow and two children, who are left grieving in the wake of his loss. “He came here to be safe,” said his brother, Abdullah Khan. “But here is not safe for anybody.”
As the investigation continues, the family and local community await justice for a man who dedicated his life to protecting others, only to meet his untimely death over a trivial dispute.
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