Family members are remembering a man gunned down in Prince George’s County as a pillar of the community, a man who once saved the life of a Virginia police officer before he was shot while working as a driver.
The victim, Abdul Rauf Khan, was found in the street after police responded to a call on Dunlap Street in Hillcrest Heights at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.
Khan had been shot multiple times and was transported to a hospital. He died Sunday morning. He was 71, police said.
Khan had been working as a ride-share driver at the time of the killing, police said an initial investigation showed. He worked as a Lyft driver, his family said.
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The carjacker shot Khan and then stole his car, police said.
“This guy was a community figure for 20 years, you know. He knew so many people,” his distraught nephew, Agha Raza Ali, said. “These people, they don’t have no value. They just killed him and left him on the street, you know, like he’s nobody. This is the worst part of it.”
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Family members knew something was wrong when Khan didn’t answer his phones and didn’t come home Saturday.
His nephew spent hours searching, talking to police and checking area hospitals before relatives learned he’d been murdered.
“I have received at least around 200 calls or 300 calls. People asking me, ‘When is the funeral? We want to come,’ because people knew this guy. He was such a genuine guy,” Ali said.
Lyft said in a statement that the company is "heartbroken by this tragic incident."
"Our hearts are with Mr. Khan's loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and we're in touch with Mr.Khan's family to offer our support. We will continue to assist law enforcement in any way we can, and will continue our efforts to combat this senseless violence and help keep drivers safe," they said.
Khan came to the U.S. from Pakistan in search of a better life. He lived in Fairfax County and is survived by his wife and 16-year-old daughter.
In 2017, he was hailed as a hero and received an award for bravery for intervening when an Alexandria police officer was being attacked.
“He jumped in and he saved that police officer’s life,” Ali said.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $25,000 is available.
