Teen whose family sought a new life in America shot dead in Syracuse: ‘He was just a kid’

Syracuse, NY – Dostdar Ali Khel and his family moved to the United States from Afghanistan in 2017 to start a new life.

They were fleeing violence in that country after Dostdar’s father was killed in a bombing.

Dostdar’s mother and her nine children settled in Syracuse.

On October 7, 16-year-old Dostdar was shot dead at a friend’s house on the North Side.

“He was just a child,” said Jameel Ali Khel, 23, his eldest brother. “It’s too young. It’s too hard for this age to die like this.”

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter. It is still unclear whether the shooting was intentional or an accident. The boy has not been identified and police have released few details.

Following a police investigation, the boy could face more serious murder charges, District Attorney Bob Durr told Syracuse.com | The Post Standard.

Dostdar, a sophomore at Henninger High School, was always smiling, several friends said. He loved spending time with his friends, they said.

He loves playing soccer and can play Fortnite with them all night, they said.

He dreamed of going to college and one day making enough money to provide for his family, said Poe Lay, a friend. Dostdar was the youngest of nine children.

“He wanted to make his mother proud; He wanted to make his family proud,” Poe said.

A group of Dostdar’s friends and his girlfriend Berry Nanthaw, 15, gathered after his memorial service last Wednesday to speak to Syracuse.com | to talk to The Post-Standard about the friend they lost.

To them, Dostdar called himself “Star,” and he shone above all else.

“When I first saw him, his smile touched my heart,” Berry said.

Just hours after the shooting, in a bathroom stall at Nottingham High School, Berry learned from a mutual friend that Dostdar had died.

“My heart sank,” she said. “I really didn’t know what to say and feel. I just started crying.”

The two started dating in January but have known each other since they were both students at Salem Hyde Elementary School, she said.

“I could talk to him about anything, anyone, and he would listen to me and explain it to me,” Berry said. “He was just very sincere. He was such a nice guy and the way he was as a person really makes me love him a lot.”

Dostdar made sure to hug his friends and even say “I love you” at the end of a phone conversation, even if he was teased for it, his friends said.

Poe, who is the same age as Dostdar, said when he first heard his friend was dead, he didn’t believe it.

“The world doesn’t feel the same without him,” Poe said.

About 100 friends, family members and some of Dostdar’s teachers gathered last week for a vigil outside the home at 309 Herbert St. where Dostdar died.

As a tribute to his life, a song composed by friends was played as they lit candles and released balloons. Some pulled over cars and burned rubber on the road. Some told stories about how they met him.

Dostdar is special, said Carlos McArthur Jr., a Spanish teacher at Henninger High School.

McArthur didn’t have Dostdar as a student this year, but was his teacher in 7th and 8th grade. During class, Dostdar couldn’t help but joke and laugh, he said.

“He was the life of the classroom,” McArthur said. “He’s been through a lot and you would never see him sad, you would never see him depressed. He never wanted to talk about nothing bad. He always held his head high.”

Dostdar has been working to improve his attendance, his teacher and friends said.

The day Dostdar died, his mother took him to school, his brother said. Berry said He texted her that he wasn’t feeling well and later decided to do so Go to a friend’s house.

Dostdar died at a friend’s house, his brother said. On countless occasions, Khel had picked up Dostdar and his friend from Schiller Park after playing soccer and dropped the boys off at the home.

He said he was not sure whether the boy who lived in the house was the 13-year-old accused of shooting Dostdar.

Dostdar’s mother, Maliha Khel, and her nine children arrived in Syracuse from Afghanistan in March 2017 via a refugee camp in Pakistan, according to an article from Holy Cross Church of DeWitt at the time.

His mother decided to move her children to America after her husband was killed by a bomb in their hometown, the church article said. One of Dostdar’s sisters witnessed the bombing, the article said.

Catholic Charities and the church helped the family arrive in Syracuse.

On Wednesday, family and friends gathered at the Islamic Society of Central NY for a memorial service.

Dostdar is now buried in the mosque’s cemetery.

Staff writer Timia Cobb reports on breaking news. Do you have a tip, story idea, question or comment? You can reach them at [email protected].